Stuck!
Chapter Fourteen: Paying the Piper
A/N: To those that complain that I have been too mean to McKay by shooting him when he was already sick, this was a necessity of the challenge - blame not the Genii Guy! I may be ruthless, but I'm not THAT ruthless
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The city alarms continued their deafening blare as footsteps pounded through the hallway and frantic voices demanded explanation in short radio bursts, but John ignored it all. His focus remained on the tiny body sprawled on the floor before him, his mind trying to wrap around what happened. He stared at the blood oozing between his fingers and the lax, unresponsive features of McKay's little boy face.
"What have I done?" John whispered. "What have I done?"
"Sheppard?" Ronon's deep voice bellowed from the doorway and, before John could answer, Dex made his way into the nursery, his weapon drawn and ready. Confusion knit the big man's brow as he scanned the room for danger. "The Wraith?" he questioned before his dark eyes settled on Sheppard…and Rodney.
"What happened?" In an instant Ronon was at McKay's side, squatting across from John. His hand seemed monstrously large as he gently touched Rodney's face. "What happened?" he demanded again, angrily.
John shook his head. "There was a Wraith and then it was gone and…"
"Sheppard!" Ronon's voice cracked like a whip through the fog of shock shrouding John's mind. He looked up at Ronon.
"I shot Rodney."
John watched surprise, denial and shock roll over Dex until it all melded into a cold, hard fury. With a low growl, Ronon shoved at Sheppard, sending the colonel backwards onto his butt. Ronon's huge hands reached for Rodney. He tore the sleeve off the white shirt in one smooth motion, revealing a deep ugly graze across the top of Rodney's arm. It still bled steadily.
"It's a graze."
Sheppard shook his head, not feeling any relief in Ronon's terse statement. "The Wraith was so real. I didn't know."
Ronon cast a threatening glare, warning Sheppard to stay back, and with great care he scooped Rodney up. With one arm, he cradled the limp child against his chest while using his other hand to clamp down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
"John?"
"Colonel?"
Elizabeth and Carson ran into the nursery breathless and panicked, still rumpled from sleep.
"What?" The horrified question died on Weir's lips as she took in the scene before her. John still sat on the floor looking beaten and rejected, staring at his blood-covered hands as Ronon rose slowly to his feet, the small boy in his arms.
Sheppard turned, realizing for the first time that Major Lorne was already there as well as a small contingent of his men. He hadn't heard them arrive.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Carson demanded, immediately heading for Ronon.
Ronon adjusted McKay, easily giving Carson better access. As he shifted, a small, reddish glowing device slipped from McKay's pocket and clattered to the floor. John watched the red light dim as he listened to Carson snapping instructions back to the infirmary on what they needed ready and waiting for them. He looked up in time to see the Tardis soundlessly disappear. Standing right next to it, Lorne jumped, raising his weapon and stepping back.
Weir eyed Sheppard with a silent demand for explanations.
"He needs to be back in the infirmary now." Carson's voice was filled with worry. "I can't do anything for him here."
"I got him." Ronon pushed past the others, obviously not about to give up his burden to anyone.
John stared after them.
"John?" Weir was still waiting, hovering over him with a look of grave concern.
"Holograms." John's voice sounded hollow to his own ears. He glanced to the toys that they'd been playing with only a few hours ago—the 'good guys' remained, while the Wraith darts had disappeared.
"Holograms?" Weir squatted beside him. "Are you alright?"
Sheppard looked at the small device on the floor and shook his head. "I should have realized." He pushed to his feet, ignoring Elizabeth's exasperated sigh.
"Tell me what happened. For God's sake, what happened?"
For the second time, John heard himself say the words out loud. "I shot Rodney." What had he done? He watched shock register on Weir's face and waited for her anger but her eyes merely narrowed.
"You shot a Wraith hologram," she countered calmly, diplomatically.
"I shot Rodney," he snarled, not letting himself find comfort in a mistake. He started for the door. "Tell Zelenka to get his ass in gear. We need this fixed. Now."
"John." She tried again to reach out to him.
He felt her hand brush his arm but he shrugged her off and turned away. "I need to go."
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Pain. Rodney woke up in pain. His whole arm hurt. It burned near his shoulder and ached all the way to his fingertips. He tried to move it to a more comfortable position but couldn't seem to move it at all. He guessed he was back in the infirmary again, he could hear Carson. Carson sounded angry. Had he done something bad? Was Carson mad at him?
Struggling, Rodney tried to open his eyes. He felt so tired. The lights were still dim around him but he could see those closest to him. He could see Ronon standing beside him, and Carson standing at the foot of the bed. They were focused on someone else.
"Do you know how lucky you are you didn't kill the lad?" Carson waved in his direction. "You nicked him good enough as is." There was an angry clip to his voice. "Be damned thankfully he didn't need surgery. I'm not sure he's strong enough to…"
Carson was talking him and mad. Was he in trouble? Tears sprung to his eyes. Rodney knew he shouldn't cry. Big boys didn't cry; wasn't his father always saying that? The tears came anyway. He was scared and his arm hurt and Carson was mad and he couldn't remember what he had done wrong and…Sheppard! The Wraith. He sobbed and scrunched his eyes closed again. It was his fault. He'd been afraid and dreamed the Wraith had come. He was so scared he had forgotten it was a hologram. He hadn't told the colonel about the cool holograms. Carson was mad. Was Sheppard mad at him, too?
"Rodney?"
He opened his eyes. Carson stood over him. "You're okay. It's gonna be okay," Carson soothed, all anger gone from his voice as he wiped the tears from Rodney's face.
"Want the colonel," McKay whispered groggily. "Please."
"He's here." Carson looked over his shoulder.
"He mad at me?" Rodney asked.
"What?" Carson seemed stunned by McKay's question.
"I forgot to tell him…" It was getting harder to stay awake. "Holograms. Made them..."
"Rodney?" And then the colonel was there. He felt a big warm hand wrap around his, and he tried to grab it back. "I'm not mad at you, Rodney."
"Sorry, I forgot."
"Shhh, it's okay. McKay? Rodney?"
Rodney knew he should try to explain how but he was just so tired.
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John ignored Ronon's angry glare as he pulled his chair closer to Rodney's bed. Ronon had stood like a guard between Teyla's and Rodney's beds for the last hour, but Sheppard wasn't about to be intimidated into leaving. Not now. Let the man try to throw him out! But John knew he wouldn't dare try—if for no other reason than because Dex had heard Rodney asking for him.
Crying. God. John ran a hand wearily over his face. Had they lost Rodney McKay completely? The small child before him was all…child. What were they going to do? Zelenka was trying his best, but the inside crystals of the device were virtually fried. If they didn't figure out an answer soon, they were truly going to lose both Rodney and Teyla. He glanced over his shoulder.
Ronon had given up glaring at his back and was now sitting beside Teyla again. She turned to face him. Her cheeks seemed even more sunken, her eyes were clouded as she gazed back at him—looking perplexed.
Damn, was she mad at him, too? How could he have shot Rodney?
Once Carson had calmed down, he'd assured John that the worst thing they had to watch for now was shock. Beckett didn't know how shock might effect McKay's already scrambled system, but insisted they just needed to watch him closely for signs of failing.
The look on McKay's face as the bullet hit him replayed through John's mind again, it would haunt him forever…like so many other faces. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and John lowered his head onto the bed. What if they didn't fix this? What if Rodney died and the last thing he remembered was getting shot by his best friend? John sighed, and thought, what if my last real memory of Rodney is the moment I killed him?John groaned, unable to figure out he he'd live with that.
And Teyla—he allowed himself to look past Ronon, to see the Athosian again. What if Rodney were to die from this? What would become of her? Are Rodney and Teyla linked so that if one is lost, the other is forfeit as well? He grimaced, closing his eyes against that pain.
Rodney moved and John sat up again, searching for any sign of true consciousness from the small form. McKay frowned and stirred, fighting his covers.
"Shhh. You're okay, Rodney." John wondered if the child could sense their lies. His lies.
McKay's eyes blinked open slowly. "Colonel?" he rasped.
"Yeah, I'm here." He amazed that Rodney could still want him around.
"Tired."
"Well, you got up a bit early," John reminded lightly.
"You shot me." There was no accusation in the statement but Sheppard flinched as if struck. Rodney did remember.
"S'kay." Rodney searched his face as John looked down. "My fault."
"No!" John looked up sharply. "It was not your fault."
"I forgot to tell you about the—"
"I shouldn't have brought a weapon into a nursery."
"Colonel."
"I should have listened to you, should have thought
about it before firing. I should have checked the life signs detector, asked the control room to check the biometric sensor, anything…"
"Sheppard."
"I should have…" The palm of Rodney's miniature hand resting against the side of his face froze Sheppard in mid-rant.
"Stop." Rodney swallowed slowly as Sheppard met his gaze. Intelligence sang inside those blue eyes again. This was McKay.
"I…" Sheppard tried to speak, but the hand drew back, to come back at his cheek in a light slap, cutting off any other arguments. "Did you just slap me?"
McKay grinned crookedly. "Yeah. Because you're being an ass. A life signs detector? Oh, sure, because that's what I would pull out if a Wraith were advancing on me. And trusting the guy in the control room's ability to use of the biometric sensor? I can hear it now: 'Oh, 'scuse me, do you mind not sucking the life out of me for just a sec while I confirm with George that you're actually here?'" The sarcasm was so McKay, Sheppard nearly hugged him, instead he just laughed. Rodney let his hand fall away. It landed on Sheppard's forearm and John instinctively covered it with his own. And for a moment, Sheppard thought that everything was going to be okay.
Suddenly, Rodney gasped, eyes growing incredibly wide, and he tried to sit up, choking and coughing. Tears rolled down his face.
"What? What is it?" John panicked. "Beckett!" He hollered as he stood and tried to support Rodney. He heard Ronon trying to settle Teyla, but the Athosian was trying to sit up—to see.
God, not now, not like this…please…
"The biometric sensor," McKay caught his breath, dragging air in raggedly.
John pulled back. "What?"
"Need Zelenka." Rodney's eyes were wide and alert, staring desperately at his best friend. "Before I forget," he pleaded.
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A/N: Thank you to those that try to cheer me with your reviews. They are the only thing sustaining me through this dark dark period. Julie is still gone. I saw a pile of poo near the door of the barn and I thought that maybe she had returned, but I think it was just one of the yaks coming by to eat the laundry . Those of you who suggest it is best that she has gone - you don't know her. You DON'T KNOW HER! SHE IS AN ANGEL among RUMINANTS! My life is empty without her. I have spent the past 24 hours curled up in a corner of the barn. Your reviews are the only reason for me to get up, stagger around and log onto my computer. If you wish me to continue, please leave a review. Otherwise, I will remain in the corner. OH JULIE! COME HOME!