He woke after what could only have been a few minutes, to Sheppard 'tapping' him (with more force than required) on the shoulder. "McKay? You awake?"
Fighting the urge to hit the irritating Colonel, not that his shaky muscles could have packed much of a punch right now, he managed a hoarse, "You think I could-" He coughed, "sleep through that? Of course I'm-" The colonel silently held out a bottle of water. "Oh, uh, thanks." He drank, savouring the cool liquid against his burning throat. The memories came flooding back. Electrocuting himself, crashing, hot, then cold cold water till-
"Whoa" He muttered, dropping the water bottle, which Sheppard hastily retrieved. "Did I-"
"Yep."
"But-"
"I know."
"How's-"
"He's fine. Sleeping."
"But he has a-"
"Yeah, Carson said it should be fine if we woke him every fifteen minutes."
"Carson!" Rodney made a gallant attempt to leap to his feet, only slightly spoiled by the swaying. "He's here?" He glanced frantically around the 'jumper' but all he could see were Bourne and Suddrick up front and Zelenka slumped against the other wall. The blessed view of Atlantis was coming onto the horizon.
"No." Sheppard pushed him back down to the bench as he lost his balance completely. "He's on Atlantis, like we will be soon. Will you calm down McKay? You already hit your head today, again might totally scramble those brains you're so proud of."
"But you told him what happened?"
"Yes!"
"Why?"
"McKay, you just fried yourself in a power converter and then nearly died in the Ocean. You don't think that kind of thing warrants a check up?"
"I-"
"Besides, Zelenka isn't looking so hot either." The Colonel continued, nodding at the other scientist. He took another look; Radek was pretty pale, a white bandage taped over a sizeable section of his forehead. Rodney's gaze flicked over the Colonel, he had a dry jacket on, but…
"Sheppard you look awful." He commented without preamble. The Colonel raised his eyebrows,
"Thank you Rodney. It was nice to save your life too."
"Yes, Thanks, but seriously…are you sure you're not getting hypothermia? That water is freezing you know. You could be in shock or-"
"McKay." The look on his friend's face shut him up. "You nearly died. Heck, for a minute we thought you were dead."
"Yeah, I know." He shuffled uncomfortably.
"That doesn't bother you at all?"
"Well…yes! But it's not the first time. I mean, I've almost died several times since we got here. It's the price of being a genius."
"But there's a big difference between being in the control room waiting to be blown up, and your heart stopping."
"My, my heart stopped?" Sheppard shrugged,
"Maybe for a second. Mine did."
He ran forward onto the 'deck', pulling off his jacket and boots. "I'm going in."
"But Colonel-!"
"Hold the damn ship steady Suddrick." He knew he was letting unprofessional hostility into his voice, and right now he didn't care. If McKay hadn't come up already then he wasn't coming up on his own, "I'll be right back." Without a further thought, he dived.
The coldness hit him like a sledgehammer, almost driving the air from his lungs. Every muscle contracted painfully and throbbed. His head broke the surface and he gasped for air.
Rodney's down there.
He took one final gulp of air, steeled himself, and went under.
The deeper he went, the colder it got, his muscles were lead weights. It was dark too, so damned dark. McKay might think he was pretty bright but he wasn't glow-in-the-dark bright yet. Though if they kept up with the radiation exposure...
He's down here, focus.
But it was no good, he had no air left. He needed oxygen so badly his stomach was heaving with the pain, his muscles barely responsive, he kicked erratically and somehow made it to the surface.
He'd drifted, the 'jumper was a good twenty metres away .Bourne stood on the 'bridge' waving at him anxiously, shouting something. He yelled hoarsely "Not g-got him yet! Back-back soon." He took a deep breath, and another,
Was there a chance in hell he'd find McKay before-?
Since when did you ever care about chance?
And he dived again. Back into the depths.
It was just as dark as before, though the first shock of cold had worn off. Dimly he knew he was near hypothermia, if he wasn't already there. It didn't matter, he was either going up with Rodney in tow, or he wouldn't be going up. He wasn't losing another member of his team, not to the damn ocean of all things!
And then he saw it, through the ocean water, a glow; lots of them in fact. Pinpricks of light dancing around a blurry shadow.
A McKay shaped blur.
Suddenly it didn't matter that he couldn't feel his feet. He didn't care that his lungs were almost imploding; that his head was spinning, all that mattered was that dark blob, and the tiny lights around it.
It seemed like hours till he got there, every kick a monumental effort. 'This must be what space-walking feels like' an idle part of his mind considered. Then he remembered Rodney had been on an EVA he'd have to ask him-
Hypothermia, focus.
He swam.
His eyes burned with the effort of seeing through the black water. He reached out a semi-numb hand towards the shadow, barely feeling the tiny burns as the lights took offence to his presence. His fingers brushed something that could be fabric. The fabric of an SGA-1 jacket belonging to the most arrogant and obnoxious scientist in two universes and a couple of alternative realities.
His friend.
He wrapped an arm round the shadow and swam.
He didn't know how they got back to the 'jumper. When they broke the surface he had to tow the completely unresponsive scientist the final fifty metres or so back, and he was already exhausted. But somehow theygot there; Zelenka was grabbing McKay and pulling him onto the 'Jumper, even as Bourne gave him a hand out. Once aboard, he half fell half knelt next to Rodney, dreading toconfirm what he already expected.
"He's not breathing." the words left his mouth before he fully comprehended them. He froze for maybe an entire second and then training took over. This wasn't his friend; this was a person, a person with no respiration and water-filled lungs. ABC, A for airway, before he could get B for breathing. He had an obstructed airway, he had to clear it.
"Dammit Rodney!" He muttered aloud, rolling his friend over to let water out of his mouth, "if you make me give you mouth to mouth I swear I'll kill you!" He rolled him back, administering chests thrusts in an attempt to expel the water from the scientist's lungs. This wasn't working! Where was Carson when you needed him? He was a soldier, not a medic! "Okay if he isn't breathing in another thirty seconds, it's time for CPR!" He half yelled at no one in particular.
"Rodney! Wake up McKay! I didn't ruin my best shirt so you could goddamn die on me! Wake up!" He pressed down with particular violence and was rewarded with a sudden cough from his friend,
"Yes!"
"Colonel?" Rodney rasped; his throat still like sandpaper. "Hate to interrupt your little daydream, but are you alright? Only if you're in shock you should tell Carson, you know how he enjoys his work." And maybe he'd forget about me for a minute… Sheppard seemed to wake up from his trance, probably dreaming about hot aliens; and frowned before his face cleared in a familiar smirk.
"Rodney, I was five seconds from giving you mouth to mouth. Now I know that would be the most action you've seen since your little close-up with Carson, but for me the thought of giving you the kiss of life is deeply traumatic!" Rodney bristled,
"Believe it or not Colonel, if it had come to that -" he broke off, coughing. When he'd finished, Sheppard was looking serious again.
"Anyway, Carson asked me to check on you, and to make you knew he'll be waiting in the 'jumper bay so not to 'bother trying to escape'." A grin crossed the Colonel's face, "You in trouble?"
"Oh…as much trouble as one can be when one is perfectly innocent." Sheppard raised his eyebrows. "I may have inadvertently avoided him in the course of my duties."
The Colonel whistled, "Well good luck. Because when Carson gets here, it's no holds barred!" His oh-so loyal friend flashed him another grin before making his way back to the cockpit,
"ETA two minutes!"
Two minutes….he could come up with an escape plan from an irate Scottish physician in two minutes, right?
He was doomed.
Sorry sorry sorry! And after all your fantastic reviews too! Computer trouble I'm afraid. But that's all sorted now. Chapters will appear as fast as I can write them. I decided to put a little Sheppard POV as we can get too much of a good thing with the Rodney perspective :) Besides, I'm a lifeguard and I like the whole near-drowning sequence ;)
Hey, if they can do the same thing twiceon TV (Rising and Before I sleep)I can do the same thing here!
So to hurry along the next chapter, bark like a goose, hum like a dog, and leave me ideas, comments, criticsim or general adoration ;) Thanks!