No Stars for You!
He had remained curled up on his side for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon or so he guessed. The vertigo had left, as had the nausea. The migraine was receding to a nice drum solo. Moving still remained a very bad idea because he hurt everywhere. Thirst was ever present since his liquid diet, that Bose wore, was the only thing he had had all day. He was not giving this place any stars for accommodations or food. He simply must let AAA know.
He knew what he had to do and he was ready. As the door slid open and two sets of hands grasped him, he put his game face on. He tried to pseudo-walk, but it ended up being more of a drag to the lab.
Brando met him at the door.
Just the man I wanted to see.
"Tonight, I'm having a dinner for you and Dr. McKay but seeing as your diet is specialized, you're invited to cocktails only." Papa Jae lifted Sheppard's head up by the chin until their eyes met. "Best behavior, and to ensure that Dr. McKay's on his best behavior, you'll be seen and not heard."
Sheppard's eyebrows shot towards his hairline. He laughed.
"You're afraid of him." Sheppard put his feet under him and stood up to the best of his ability. "You've been keeping him in line by using me. Keeping him distracted." Sheppard knew that was a lie. McKay was not distracted but no reason Brando should know. "You have no interest in any of this technology. You're putting on a show."
Papa Jae did not smile. His face remained expressionless. Therefore, Sheppard smiled for him.
A thick, heavy hand slapped him hard enough to wipe that smile off his face. Except it didn't. Sheppard smiled even bigger as the fresh split in his lip pulled. The only reason he did not fall down was the two sets of hands holding him.
"I'm right, you need to me to keep him doing whatever job you have for him. McKay'll figure it out that nobody in this lab's doing anything. And if he doesn't, I have."
Papa Jae took the same thick hand and grabbed Sheppard by the throat. He waved the escorts away and drove him backwards until his extremely tender back impacted the wall behind him. Their eyes never left each other's.
"I'd be very afraid. He blew up a solar system because his curiosity got the better of him," Sheppard garbled. "The man…" he choked and gasped as the hand tightened making spots dance the tango before him. "…is high maintenance."
A macabre red tinged smile remained on his face just goading the enormous man. "Just wait until I tell him. McKay's logical to a fault, he'll know what to do with an arrogant bastard like you."
Papa Jae's anger turned to rage. He ripped the top of the gown down and yanked mercilessly on the shoulder port until it came free.
Sheppard howled as blood spurted with each pump of his heart and poured down the rest of the gown. Jae let him go and he dropped with a slap of skin on hard floor.
Sheppard had gotten the result he was looking for. He looked up and gave Brando a triumphant smile. His collect call was accepted and a seed was planted. Now he hoped his little stunt did not get McKay killed. Life is full of risks though.
The rage flitted through Papa Jae's eyes until he realized his leverage could bleed out and die. "You wanted me to do that." He looked at his assistants and started barking orders. "Get the doctor in here to take care of that shoulder. And shut his mouth for the duration of his stay with us."
"It almost worked Colonel Sheppard. But you're not saying anything to Dr. McKay." Papa Jae lifted him up by the throat. "Best manners tonight or I'll take it out on both of you." He looked at an assistant. "I want him ready by cocktails."
Sheppard passed out. Papa Jae let him go. Sheppard's body pathetically hit the floor with a slap for a second time.
"Funny thing is Colonel I don't remember making the decision to leave my little dream fantasy world. Even if it was a Wraith culling."
"Well McKay, about…about…"
McKay's head shot up from his data pad and whispered to himself, "Well McKay, about that…"
Where had that come from? It was an unfinished conversation that had been put on hold. One he kept meaning to get back to. Pulmonary embolism, Sheppard appeared to just fall asleep on him. The monitors said different.
Right now, he had time to rehash things in his head. His genius mind had been uncluttered to only fifteen or twenty things as opposed to the forty or fifty that took up residence in normal, everyday, Atlantis life. It zeroed in on that particular day for- what reason?
No Wraith influence, no fear of himself, no fear of the what ifs…
All gone. Like it was removed.
"Didn't trust me to come back on my own…"
"No. I couldn't take the chance."
Sheppard made him wake up. He took all the crazy with him. The threats were classic Sheppard misdirection. Ignore the man behind the curtain. The man wanted him to think he had a choice, but there wasn't one. It wasn't an ultimatum; it was one program erasing another.
If he continued on this tangent- the Pavilion's memories were gone in Sheppard. He had asked about the claustrophobia on the Aurora. Sheppard looked at him like he as nuts and said he wasn't. Never had been. The burn on the forehead must have been their removal. His arm had a similar burn from where Sheppard had touched him in the infirmary.
In turn, Sheppard removed the remnants of the Wraith program. He could read minds but he could influence only that which did not belong or had been part of an Ancient program. Well the what ifs were McKay's but without the doubts the Wraith implanted in his stability, they were nothing but a dull roar in the back of his mind. His memories were still intact but not the crazy.
McKay had been half expecting to fall apart at any moment. This situation was so far out of his control; he expected at least one panic attack before now. It was not happening because the root cause of such behavior was gone. Oh sure he was one-step away from freaking out but not losing touch with reality.
He and Sheppard were going to have to have a long- get oneself completely smashed- conversation when they got back.
Sheppard was doing it now; that cavalier, jaunty smile thrown casually over the shoulder- misdirection. He was getting ready to play some sort of game with Orson Wells.
McKay needed to get back upstairs and watch out for that misguided num-nut. Sheppard was going to do something stupid thinking he was helping, protecting, or even rescuing McKay.
"Idiotic, overprotective ass."
He kept his own ruse going by clucking his tongue and switching crystals. He would tap on his data pad- taking notes!- and scowl thoughtfully at nothing in particular.
"Hey Godzilla, I need to go back upstairs to the main lab," he said to Bama who stood just inside the doorway.
Bama shook his head.
"No really, I need to check the conduit compatibility with the crystalline structure of the direct link to the control interface."
Bama shook his head again, stepped forward and grabbed McKay by the upper arm. They almost walked right into Papa Jae. Spattered blood stained his shirt and he looked ruffled- as in upset.
"What happened to you?" A very, very bad feeling crept over McKay.
"Thank you for your concern but it's not mine. It's Col. Sheppard's."
McKay frowned so hard his face hurt- he was too late. "Is…is he…"
"He'll be there for cocktails." Papa Jae affixed a smile to his pudgy face. "How goes our experiment?"
Rodney was trying to get all the scenarios out of his head that included that much blood to be splattered when he answered. "Slow, but progress is being made. It should only take another week or so to get everything calibrated."
"Excellent!" Papa Jae clapped him on the shoulder. "Now I need you to go get ready for dinner."
"I really need to see Col. Shep…"
"Clothes are on your bed. I'll send someone to escort you upstairs." Papa Jae left without another word.
Rodney stood stunned. This asshole was worried about dinner and not the gallon of blood covering his shirt. Bama dragged him out and down and up and into his room.
Oh, he and Sheppard were going to have a long talk about the genius that is McKay and to never doubt his capacity for survival. Sometimes he wondered if Sheppard had any self-preservation notions what so ever.
Damn it Sheppard, we are so close; don't you go dying on me- again.
A/N: Sheppard, Sheppard what are ya thinking boy-o? McKay, he's Kirk remember. How many times did he "die".