Wow! So many reviews! Thank you all so much! Don't worry, there will be much more angst(hehehe....poor McKay....) and slashiness (and probably a little bit of fluff, if you guys want it :D) ... keep reading, keep reviewing...
And now, the results of my little challenge...and the winners are...
Katt (Who, of course, gets her ZedPM wrapped in maple leaf gift wrapping), me (I swear, that was the reviewers name - check the reviews :D) , Courtknee (Trekker-in-Training - I like that :D)
Your ZedPM's will be on the next Stargate out :D. The reference, for everyone else, was Dr. Leonard - Leonard is Dr. McCoy's first name :D
"I'm telling you Doctor, this isn't a good idea."
"And I'm telling you that I need some fresh air." Beckett glared at the young Dr. Leonard. "Are you really planning on arguing with the head doctor?"
Leonard's eyes widened, and Beckett knew he'd hit the bulls-eye. "No sir, of course not."
Beckett nodded briskly, grabbing his jacket. "I'll be back in half-an-hour."
Once out of sight of the infirmary, Beckett stepped into the elevator, intending to head straight for his favourite balcony. Once the panel opened though, he changed his mind. He would be too easy to find on that balcony, and right now people were the last things he wanted to see. Carefully scrutinizing the elevator panel, Beckett cautiously pressed a button. Moments later, the elevator doors opened to reveal a dimly lit corridor. Beckett took a few steps forward, looking around him as the elevator doors closed. This section of Atlantis looked deserted; dust lay heavy on the floor. The hall stretched on a fair ways before it appeared to turn. There weren't any doors visible.
Beckett debated with himself for a moment. True, he would definately not be disturbed, but if the bug still attached to his neck decided to make himself known again, he would also be without help. After a long moment, Beckett shrugged, and started forward, unconsciously reaching back to caress his neck. It was still sore from Dr. Leonard's attempt to extricate the bug surgically - an attempt that failed miserably, as it seemed to melt around the scalpel, firmly maintaining it's grip on Beckett's neck. It appeared that the stupid thing had firmly attached itself to Beckett's spinal cord.
Finally reaching the turn in the corridor, Beckett peeked around the corner. It, too, bore no signs of any activity more recent than the Ancients. However, there was one door, visible just at the end of the hallway. Curiosity burning, Beckett walked to the end of the hallway. The door slid open noiselessly. Beckett stared at the room inside for a long moment, then spun on his heel and raced down the corridor, one thought on his mind. He had to tell Rodney about that room.
Beckett skidded around the corridor, head down, barely looking at where he was going.
"Carson."
Looking up, Beckett jerked to a stop, which resulted in his ending up on his rear in the dust. Not even noticing, Beckett stared down the hall. It wasn't...it couldn't be...
"Pearna?"
The logical part of Beckett's brain insisted that the figure walking towards him, holding out her hands, could simply not be Perna. Perna was dead, Beckett had watched her die, held her hand through those last moments.
The other part of his brain, though - the part that had echoed her voice everytime Beckett tried to go to sleep, had haunted his sleep with dreams of her - that part wanted to believe. Needed to believe.
Slowly, Beckett rose to his feet, coughing slightly in the dust that flew. "Pearna?"
She was standing right in front of him now, so close that he could have reached out and touched her. Hell, he could have leaned forward and kissed her. Yet, he didn't, afraid that any movement might dissolve this beautiful apparition. "Pearna, love..."
"Hello, Carson." The apparition even had Perna's voice, low and soft. Beckett reached out a hand, trying to touch her -
"Carson, don't do it!"
The voice was loud, demanding - and definately Rodney's. Beckett, startled, looked around sharply, but couldn't see McKay anywhere. Confused, Beckett turned back to Perna - but she was no longer there. Standing in her place was McKay.
"Beckett, don't listen to her. Don't listen to anything she has to say. Promise me."
Beckett knew that this, too, was an apparition. "What in bloody hell is going on here?"
"Promise me!" This McKay's voice sounded pleading, urgent.
"I promise, I promise - wha?"
Beckett stared. Where the apparition of McKay had been mere moments ago, was now empty space. He looked around, almost expecting to see the physicist jump out at him, yelling surprise - though he knew it just wasn't in McKay's nature.
Of course, nothing of the sort happened. Shaken, Beckett continued on his way to the elevator, punching the button that would take him closest to the gateroom. Before the elevator doors closed, Beckett risked one last glance into the hallway. It was empty and silent once again.
It took about 10 minutes of searching through the command area before Beckett realized that McKay was probably down in the research lab, looking up information on the mysterious box. By that time, the half-hour was definately gone, so Beckett made his way back to the infirmary, feeling depressed. He had really been hoping to find the physicist, tell him about the apparition in the hallway. Somehow, he thought that maybe McKay would understand, even help him figure out what was going on.
"Hey, you're late."
Beckett jumped at the sound of McKay's voice and looked up. The doctor was sitting on one of the infirmary beds, hand raised in greeting. Beckett nodded in acknowlegment, and McKay frowned. "Carson, you look like you've seen a ghost." His face grew slightly frightened looking. "You haven't seen a ghost, have you?"
Beckett shook his head. If he hadn't been so spooked out, he was sure he'd be laughing at McKay's fear. Instead, he sat down on the bed beside McKay, and held his hands above his lap. They were still shaking.
"Alright, what's going on?"
Beckett shook his head. As much as he wanted to tell McKay everything that happened, he most certainly was not doing it in front of Dr. Leonard - not a good thing for your staff to think you're seeing things.
He felt the bed lift as McKay stood up, and half-wondered what the physicist was doing. He didn't have long to wait before hearing Dr. Leonard's protests as McKay shoved him rudely out of the room. "Hey, I'm a doctor, you can't kick me out of my own - "
"Shut up," McKay muttered, before slapping the panel to shut the door. He hit a couple of buttons under the panel, remarking, "Did I tell you I found a way to lock the doors?"
Beckett managed a weak smile as McKay sat back down.
McKay turned to him, his face strangely serious. "Talk."
"Really, Rodney, I'm fine. I just need some sleep, that's all."
McKay snorted. "Not buying that, thank you."
Beckett sighed, then looked down at his hands. The shaking hadn't gotten any better, so Beckett began to talk - about the box and the bug, about the dream, the apparition - even about how both dream and apparition had morphed into Rodney, warning him about - something. He didn't look up, but continued to stare at his hands, partly afraid to see the look on McKay's face, afraid his friend would laugh, or tell him he was crazy.
When he finished, there was a moment of silence before McKay spoke. "Interesting. Perna, huh?"
Beckett nodded mutely, suddenly aware of a burning sensation in the back of his throat. He leaned forward, resting his forehead on his hands.
"I'm sorry." The words were quiet, sympathetic, so unlike Rodney McKay that they caught Beckett by surprise. The burning sensation in his throat grew, until it seemed to encompass his entire body.
Unable to hold back anymore, Beckett found himself sobbing quietly, hands pressing into his eyes.
When he felt the slight pressure on his back, it took him a moment to realize that it was Rodney.
The two sat there for a while, Beckett hunched over on the bed, shoulders shaking, McKay sitting quietly beside him, hand resting gently between Beckett's shoulder blades.
Finally, Beckett swallowed hard and sat up, wiping away the last of his tears. "Thanks."
He felt McKay shrug beside him. "I didn't really do anything."
Beckett gave his friend a small smile. "You were here, that's all."
McKay smiled back, and their eyes met.
Beckett suddenly realized that knowing that Rodney was here, knowing they would work this through together, made him feel better. A whole lot better.
