CHOOSING HIS TEAM by Tipper

(Thanks again to you all! Talk about making my day! Particularly Kate, whom I'm apparently putting out of a job! LOL! You are all making me very happy! Although Evilclone's virtual kittens of death do have me a wee bit nervous. ROFL!)

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CHAPTER TEN: A REALLY BIG FERRARI

Stackhouse and Markham pulled Ford up, grinning and laughing as they helped the tired lieutenant. Ford laughed back, letting them do the work of getting him upright and on solid ground again. Good natured ribbing and lots of back slapping accompanied the men as Ford left with them, headed back up to the main floors. Sheppard and McKay, who had slid back into the hallway on their own, both gave him a respectful nod as he passed by, and Ford grinned back, oddly pleased to get such recognition from both men. Then McKay was talking to Weir and Grodin again on his radio and Sheppard started talking security and maintenance with Bates and Sanchez, and Ford felt oddly disappointed not to be staying with them as his fellow soldiers bustled him back to the stairs.

Beckett and two other medical personnel swirled around as Halling was placed on a gurney, and four marines hefted the tall man onto their shoulders, preparing for the hike up eight flights. Jinto jogged behind them, keeping up a line of chatter as he asked his father what had happened, wanting to make sure he really was all right. Teyla walked with them, though she did look behind her a few times to smile again at Sheppard and McKay. As she disappeared around the corner, she even waved and blew a kiss—apparently having decided it was the earth custom. Sheppard laughed at her antics as Bates arched an eyebrow at him, the sergeant clearly not appreciating the joke.

McKay, meanwhile, had removed himself from the remaining group, moving to lean up against the side of the hallway by himself. Once the bulk of the personnel had gone and all of Elizabeth's questions answered (for now), he unlooped the radio from his ear and slid down until he was sitting against the wall, his arms hanging over his bent legs. He just wanted to sit alone for a few minutes...get his bearings back.

Sheppard watched as the last of his men went, offering a lazy salute to both Bates and Sanchez as they headed off, telling them he'd be along in a minute. Then he turned and moved to stand against the wall next to McKay, taking in the finally quiet and empty hallway. A moment later, he was sitting down next to the scientist, imitating the man's posture of laying his arms over his knees.

McKay lifted his head, turning it to offer a bewildered look at the major, not sure why the other man was still there.

Sheppard just blew the air out of his cheeks, staring up at the ceiling above.

"You doing okay?" he asked softly.

The scientist's eyebrows lifted, "Me?"

The major glanced at him askance, "Yeah."

McKay thought about that for a moment, then shook his head, "Actually, no. I'm feeling kinda nauseous."

Sheppard snorted a laugh, "Me too. Shouldn't have eaten the sausage in that MRE this morning. Never a good idea. Remind me never to let Bates cook again." He laughed some more.

McKay smiled in return, then let it fade, leaning his head on one arm so he could look more squarely at the man next to him. Unbidden and without warning, the guilt and shame he'd felt earlier hit him full force, causing him to frown deeply. For some reason, the scientist couldn't gloss over them as he normally did, the feelings just growing in strength the more he tried to repress them. He found he had an almost desperate need to apologize, to explain, and to obtain some sort of measure of respect back from this man. Because right now, he didn't feel he deserved that respect, even if Sheppard were to offer it. He recognized the feeling—it was the same one that had led him to apologize to Samantha Carter all those years ago. It eluded him as to why he now felt the need to apologize to Major Sheppard, but...it suddenly seemed incredibly important that he do so.

Sheppard's laughter lessened to a chuckle, and he eyed McKay. His brow furrowed at the other man's scrutiny.

"What?"

The scientist grimaced, face pinching as if in pain. "I need to tell you something. You...," his eyes fell, "You could have joined Halling and Ford, before I triggered the room to reset, you know. You didn't have to stay with me, and risk slipping—"

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't. And I...I wanted to tell you, but—"

"Doctor McKay," Sheppard's smile was long gone, "despite your impression of me, I am not an idiot. Of course I knew I didn't have stay with you. But you needed help."

"Help? No, that's just it. I was the only one who needed—"

"Not that kind of help. This may come as a surprise, Doctor, but I'm not here for my health. My job is to protect you. To do what needs to be done, so that you can do what you need to do. You needed to work that panel to save all of us, and I needed to be there so you could."

McKay stared at him for a long moment, then lifted his head off his arm to stare at the corridor wall opposite.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'"

"Thanks."

"Not a problem."

They sat in silence for another minute, before a wry smile lit McKay's lips.

"And you're right...you're not an idiot," the scientist admitted. Sheppard snorted another derisive laugh, so McKay quickly added: "Of course, at the time, you were an idiot, but not as a whole. Thing is, you have to learn that I tend to react to things a certain way and that I tend to say things that I don't—"

"I know."

McKay looked surprised, "You do? How?"

"I just do."

"Oh." McKay looked at the wall again, then glanced again at the major. "That mean you're still reserving judgment?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

The major smiled, but shook his head. "No."

"Oh," McKay sighed, disappointed.

"No, McKay," Sheppard said, hitting the other man's leg, "It's a good thing."

McKay stared at him for a moment, then started to smile. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he said, "Oh, by the way, before I forget, thanks for saving my life. Grabbing my jacket like that...thanks."

"Oh that?" Sheppard shrugged, "Pish-tosh."

McKay laughed; he couldn't help himself. "Pish-tosh?"

Sheppard grinned, "Tit-for-tat. You saved my life, I saved yours, we saved theirs, it's all cyclical." He shrugged, "I have a feeling it'll quickly become par for the course."

McKay nodded, still grinning, "Yeah, probably."

"Besides, we weren't in any real danger. I knew you could fix that thing."

"Ha," McKay snorted.

"Are you kidding? You fixed a junked Ferrari, that's—"

"Ah, right, about that." McKay sighed, "I may have exaggerated a little this morning. I didn't really fix the Ferrari."

Sheppard arched an eyebrow. The scientist gave a sheepish smile, not quite meeting his eyes.

"I tried. I just," McKay shrugged, "I never had the right parts. I just couldn't afford them. I kept finding parts in junkyards, welding them into close approximations of what I needed, and using those. But they never quite worked. The car...never really worked the way it should." McKay was staring down at the floor now, his shoulders slumping. "I did my best, but it...never really was...what it had been." His eyes lifted, and he looked up at the ceiling. "And now, here we are...and this is a really...big...Ferrari." He swallowed, resting the back of his head against the wall and closing his eyes.

Sheppard stared at him, then nodded. Feeling inadequate was something the major knew well, but he hadn't expected to hear the egotistical Doctor Rodney McKay admit to it also. Maybe that was it...why he felt so comfortable with this man. Because underneath...

"First of all," he said softly, watching as McKay's eyes opened slightly in response to his tone, "this isn't a Ferrari. It's more like a Rolls Royce or a Bentley with the engine of a top of the line jet fighter—puts a mere Ferrari to shame. Second," Sheppard leaned forward a little so he could see more of McKay's eyes, "you have all the right parts this time."

McKay turned to peer at the major, his brow furrowed.

Sheppard reached a hand over and tapped the other man's skull. "Right there, dumbass." Then he shoved at McKay's head, nearly sending him sprawling. "That's all you need."

McKay rubbed at his head, trying not to grin at the major as he resettled himself, "That wasn't necessary," he pretended to whine. "You didn't have to hit me."

"Yeah, I did. You so had that coming."

McKay shook his head, not rising to the jibe. "But I will admit," he replied finally, a smug smile growing on his face, "you make a good point. I am the smartest man here. If I can't figure it out, no one can." He puffed up as he spoke.

"Exactly."

"Although...a ZPM would be helpful."

Sheppard shrugged, "True, there is that."

"On a side note," McKay pursed his lips, "that is the first time I think in my entire life that anyone has ever called me 'dumb.' Geek, nerd, jerk, asshole...those I'm familiar with, but not 'dumb.'"

"Maybe you need to hear it more often," Sheppard grinned.

"You going to be the one to tell me?"

Sheppard shrugged, "Oh, I think I could manage that." He grinned.

McKay laughed, and Sheppard soon joined him. After a while, McKay quieted, looking up at the ceiling again, as if he could see through it all the way back to the control room eight flights up. He sighed.

"Well, I expect Elizabeth will be wondering where we are. We should probably..." Suddenly his eyes widened, panic crossing his features as his hands went to attack his pockets. His left hand grasped the shield device in his pocket, and he audibly sighed in relief. Pulling it out, he peered at it for a moment, the still dead device resting on his palm.

Sheppard, confused, reached out to take it. "What's that?"

McKay quickly drew the device back, holding it to his chest, "It's...," he frowned, then shrugged. "Actually, it's supposedly a personal shield device of some kind."

Sheppard arched an eyebrow, "A what?"

McKay smiled crookedly, holding it out again for Sheppard to see, "A personal shield device. Once activated by someone with the gene, it's supposed to generate some sort of force field around the wearer that will make them invulnerable."

Sheppard's eyes widened, "Invulnerable?"

"Yes, theoretically," McKay quickly tucked it away back in his pocket. "Had I been wearing it and fallen through that floor, I supposedly wouldn't have been hurt by the impact." His eyes were lit up, "According to the database, it—"

"Wait," the major tilted his head, "Someone with the gene? But I thought you didn't have the gene."

"Ah," McKay grabbed his right arm, shoving up the sleeve to reveal the small bandage on his arm. "Beckett gave me an injection earlier, part of his gene therapy. I'm the first human trial."

The patented Sheppard eyebrow arch grew even higher, "You're kidding."

"Nope. According to Beckett, we should know in about four hours if it works. No, wait...," McKay tipped his arm towards him, noting the time on his watch, "Three hours now." He looked back at Sheppard, "If, uh...if the gene therapy works," he smiled openly, "want to help me test the shield device?"

Sheppard grinned, finding the other man's enthusiasm infectious, "I'd love to."

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TBC (just one more...)