CHAPTER 55
They rounded the corner and ran smack dab into Ronon. They staggered backward arms and legs flailing as they tried to regain their balance.
Ronon took in their inebriated state and glared at Sheppard. "You're both drunk."
"Headed to my quarters," Rodney slurred. "To bed."
"Alone." John yelped when Ronon quirked an eyebrow. "Dropping him at the door." He tried to glare at Ronon's amused smirk.
"Fine, you take him." John pushed him toward Ronon with a big grin.
"Not a babysitter." Ronon growled.
"Not a baby!" Rodney huffed pulling out of Ronon's grasp.
"Whoa!" John grabbed for him as he wobbled. They both overbalanced and fell in a tangle of uncoordinated limbs.
Ronon glared and reached down to pull Sheppard up and leaned him against the wall. "Don't move."
He grabbed Rodney and got him on his feet. Rodney swayed into him patting him awkwardly on the arms. "You're a great friend, Ronon."
Ronon grunted and glared at Sheppard. "Don't do this again."
John just grinned at him. "Best friend, Rodney. See ya."
Rodney waved at him as John sauntered drunkenly down the hall.
"Night, Sheppard." Ronon growled as he kept Rodney from falling over.
Ronon had been checked to see if Rodney was working late at the lab, driving himself to exhaustion before trying to sleep. Finding the lab empty he'd went to his quarters and found them empty as well. Worry had started to worm its way into his gut. Now he finds out that he's been off getting drunk with Sheppard.
In five minutes Ronon had him in his quarters. He firmly sat him down on the bed and knelt to remove his shoes.
"Oh, don't do that," Rodney moaned as Ronon jerked his shoes off roughly.
Ronon glanced up at the queasy tone and growled, "Do not throw up on me."
"Won't."
Ronon kept a careful eye on him as he helped him out of his jacket before lowering him to the bed. "Sleep."
"Rodney's eyes flicked open. "You all die when I sleep."
Ronon sighed. His friend was really losing it. "Not dying. I'll watch over you; wake you up if you start dreaming."
"Okay, okay," Rodney mumbled as his eyelids dipped shut again.
Ronon went to the bathroom and by the time he returned Rodney was sound asleep. Ronon frowned at the light snores and pulled the covers over Rodney.
SGA
Rodney whimpered as the small red pool spread across the floor. His stricken gaze sliding over the bodies sprawled haphazardly across the gate room.
"Stop it, Rodney," a rough voice slid over him. "Let it go."
"I can't," he whispered.
"Yeah, you can. Wake up," a hand shook him.
Rodney blinked his eyes opening slowly, dazedly. The images faded as the sensation of being jostled. He flapped ineffectually at the man shaking him. "Stop," he moaned.
Ronon moved to sit beside him. "When you sober up we're sparring.
"What?" Rodney squawked.
"You heard me. Nothing like sparring to get your mind back where it should be."
"No; no way."
"Get some sleep."
After Rodney fell back asleep Ronon turned off his alarm and sent a message to Dr. Weir, Sheppard and Radek informing them that Rodney was taking the day off.
SGA
Rodney stretched lazily then winced as his head throbbed.
"About time you woke up," Ronon's deep voice slid over him.
Rodney rubbed his eyes and gazed blearily across the room at him. "You're up early."
"No, you just slept in finally." Ronon moved over to the bed. "Get a shower and some coffee then we're sparring."
"Slept in? What time is it?" Rodney turned to check his watch then jerked back. "No. I am not sparring with you with a hangover!"
Rodney glanced at the clock. "It's one in the afternoon! No wonder I'm starving. And I have to get to work!"
"We can eat, but I told everyone you were taking the day off."
"You what!"
"You needed to sleep."
Rodney glared then finally sighed and leaned against him. "Fine, the day off. I'll even be your punching bag as I hate to do it and then lunch and then maybe loafing on one of the piers."
Ronon grinned.
After a shower and a quick breakfast with lots of coffee Rodney was still a picture of misery. Ronon clapped him on his shoulder. "Let's sweat the alcohol out of your system. You'll feel better."
Rodney sighed and settled into sparring. His reflexes were slower than normal; his mind dulled by lack of sleep and the beer. Ronon kept him at it for over an hour and eventually, he admitted to himself, he began to feel human again.
A very tired human, he thought to himself; a very tired human scientist that should be in his lab making groundbreaking discoveries instead of sweating in this room acting like a Neanderthal.
His attention wandered and he zigged when he should have zagged and Ronon clipped his head with a hard blow. Rodney spun around and fell to the ground with a surprised grunt.
"Rodney!" Ronon turned him over onto his back carefully. He paled at the injury he'd inflicted. He rushed over to get a towel and pressed it to the bleeding cut.
"Ow!"
"Sorry."
"Head wounds," Rodney mumbled when he saw the upset in Ronon's eyes. "They bleed; look worse than they are."
Ronon still looked haunted. "You didn't need to be injured." He said in a voice raw with remorse.
"Maybe being forced to admit that you are alive and well and capable of kicking ass was what I needed."
"You need to see Carson."
"I'm fine."
"You need stitches."
"What! Stitches! I'm seriously injured?"
"You gonna walk or do I carry you?"
"Carry….Of course I can walk."
Ronon carefully helped him up and kept a firm grip on him all the way to the infirmary.
SGA
Carson looked up when the doors opened to see Rodney carefully walk into the infirmary with Ronon's support.
"Rodney, what happened?" Carson asked as he took in the bloody towel and the pain in his friend's face.
"Um, well, Ronon and I were sparring and I didn't dodge fast enough."
Carson leveled a disappointed look at them. "I expect this from Colonel Sheppard and Ronon. You are usually more careful, Rodney. Well, come along and let me have a look."
He led Rodney to an exam table and pulled the curtain around to ensure privacy.
Ronon sighed and resigned himself to being yelled at as he called Sheppard to tell him what happened. He could hear Rodney's grumbling behind the curtain which eased his concern. Rodney made much of little injuries and endured large trauma in silence.
"You okay?"
Rodney looked up and saw John and Ronon hovering. "Carson gave me medication and said not to spar until the stitches are out. That works since I'm going to Earth with you tomorrow afternoon anyway."
Ronon raised his eyebrow. "You're going to Earth?"
"Yes."
"Tomorrow afternoon?" He looked between the two men silently requesting more information.
"Yes."
"And you were going to tell me and Teyla when?" His eyes glinted angrily.
"I didn't know until last night and we weren't talking a lot last night or this morning now were we?"
Ronon kept staring at him.
"My ex-wife died in an accident. I asked him to go to the funeral with me and be a buffer between me and my not so nice ex-mother-in-law."
Ronon sighed. Okay, he could understand that. "Don't let Sheppard talk you into anything dangerous."
"You're the one getting him stitches!"
"That was an accident."
Rodney rolled his eyes at them. "I'm a big boy now. I can take care of myself."
Ronon just gave him a flat stare. "Don't make me come to Earth to save you."
