Down in the Dark

By

OXBastetXO

Pain.

Darkness.

He was dead and this was hell.

Or he had just fainted again, which could be just as bad. He could already imagine the smug smirk on Sheppard's face.

Doctor Rodney McKay groaned and tried to move. Pain exploded through his head and back setting off a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors behind his eyes. He watched the light show in weary fascination, trying to ignore the sick feeling it gave him in the pit of his stomach. It was just like what he thought would happen with the nuclear device he had made for the six grade science fair, had he been able to get a hold of the Uranium235 that would have made it viable. Not that he would have actually detonated it, but at the moment, that would be preferable to the thundering in his head.

"Doctor McKay? Doctor McKay, are you alright?"

Ford's concerned voice sliced like a laser though the pain only serving to aggravate it and his mood.

"Go away," he groaned through clenched teeth. He vaguely noted how hoarse and weak his voice sounded. Something tickled in his chest and he started to cough, the movement setting off new explosions of agony through parts of his body that hadn't reported in yet and he moaned in respond, trying to get them to shut up again. If they didn't have good news, they shouldn't have said anything at all.

"Doctor McKay, are you okay?" Ford asked again, followed by what sounded like someone dragging something across the ground.

"No, I'm—"he groaned, the words sticking a moment as something hitched in his chest again. Everything got fuzzy and it almost seemed as if time was stretching.

Did they get caught in some kind of special anomaly? He really couldn't remember how they had gotten there. He remembered the Puddle Jumper coming through the Stargate and them flying over some ruins and landing and then—He shook his head and instantly regretted it. Something buzzed in his ears again and he felt a hand touch his forehead. The hand felt warm, which was nice because he felt like he had been caught outside the Antarctica base.

"He's coming around again, Major," he heard a voice he finally recognized as Ford's say. "He's got a pretty bad concussion and looks like a couple broken ribs from what I can tell."

"Okay, Teyla's going to stay here and keep in radio contact with you while I head back to the 'gate to contact Weir and get Beckett and a team back here to extract you. How are you holding up?"

"My leg's pretty badly busted up, but I've got it splinted for now. We do need the first aid kit down here though."

"I'll send it down before I leave."

"Down...here?" McKay said, frowning in concentration. He had already tried to say this before but the words just wouldn't come out his mouth when he wanted them too. This was decidedly odd. He probably should be worried about it, but right now his head hurt too much to think let alone worry and he was tired beyond the point of caring at the moment.

"Doctor McKay, hey," Ford said, gently shaking him. "How are you feeling?"

The question took him a moment to process and then to assess himself before answering.

Ford shook him again. "Doctor McKay, come on now. Wake up and talk to me."

He groaned. "Tired.... head...hurts," he managed to put the words together enough to get them out. Yes, his head hurt. It felt like it was going to freaking explode and if Ford didn't stop shaking him he was going to hit him!

"You've got a concussion. You just need to lay still. Major Sheppard's going to get us out of here. Can you open your eyes?"

McKay frowned. Open his eyes? That would explain why it was so dark. He thought a moment, trying to remember exactly how to do that. Ford shook him impatiently again. He grunted and his eyes struggled open and then snapped back shut with a groan as light bore straight into his skull.

He swung at the offending light and a hand caught his hand with surprising ease. "Whoa, hold on," Ford said. "Take it easy. I just need to check you eyes a minute and then you can rest for a bit."

"Why?" It came out petulant, but he didn't care. He didn't want that light in his eyes again. The dull, raging thump in his head was much better than that the sharp, burning pain that the light created.

Ford gave an impatient sigh. "Because I need to see how your pupils react to the light."

Vaguely, he remembered that was somehow important about a concussion. With an unhappy groan he complied and Ford promptly show the light in his eyes again and it took everything McKay had not to hit the younger man and he quickly clamped his eyes shut again.

"Yeah, they're equal, but really sluggish and he's not very coherent."

Rodney frowned at the concerned tone in Ford's voice and realized he must have dozed off again. He slitted his eyes open to look at the young solder.

The light didn't seem to hurt as much as before, but then Ford wasn't shining it directly into his eyes now. The Lieutenant's BDUs were torn and covered in dirt nearly as dark as young Lieutenant's skin. Smears of what McKay thought that may be blood darkened areas.

Sheppard's voice crackled back over his radio. "I'll tell Beckett. Keep him still and try to keep him awake if you can. I'll get them back here as quickly as possible." There was a pause. "How are you holding up?"

"Leg hurts like a—"he caught himself. "It hurts a lot, but the morphine is taking the edge off of it."

"Teyla will keep talking to you to keep you awake."

"Yes, sir," he said, lowering the radio with a tired sigh. He looked over at McKay and smiled. "Hey, Doc."

Rodney blinked slowly. "You look awful," he said, frowning as the words came out badly slurred.

Ford chuckled. "You don't look so good yourself."

A dull thump sounded overhead and dirt rained down on them. Rodney grimaced as it fell on his face.

The radio crackled to life again. "Ford, we're pinned down," Sheppard shouted, through the sound of weapons fire.

The young man grabbed for the radio. "Sir, what's going on?"

"This just isn't my day," Sheppard said and then the transmission dissolved into the hiss of static.