Say When
Rodney stood next to the chair staring as Sheppard fell into unconsciousness. He smiled as broadly as his puffy and bruised face would allow. A corner turned in this most unlikely of places, he thought.
"No Jae, enough." Dr. Hallidy snapped. "Let them go back to the room."
Emotions ran across Papa Jae's face. Anger, distaste, disappointment, sorrow- all aimed at his friend.
"This time Garner." PJ straightened himself to full height to impress his superiority on the group. "Dr. McKay, tonight I'll go over your work, inspect the computer entries and the generator itself. I'll also be carefully monitoring your room. You know the price."
Rodney heard the probes retract. Sheppard hardly flinched. Bose pulled him up and Rodney grabbed the other side.
"I'm going with them Jae," as Hallidy spoke, sadness spread across his face. "You're not the man I thought you were. What would your daughters think?"
"Go ahead and ask Aggie, she's right over there."
Aggie waved to the doctor from a console out in the main lab. His face fell even farther.
"My eternal sorrow for your family Jae Berje." He walked out into the lab ahead of Rodney and Bose.
"You'll see Garner! It'll be worth it!" PJ called after his retreating friend.
Rodney frowned at PJ as they staggered out of the alcove. The man really thought he was the hero of the tale and wanted his friend to understand. Too bad he had gotten lost in his own self-importance.
When they made it to the room, Bose let go. Faced with all of Sheppard's dead weight, McKay stumbled and fell. He twisted so Sheppard would not take the brunt of the hit. The doctor tried to help but was just not quick enough. They hit the floor in a tangled heap.
"Thanks!" McKay yelled out as the door locked. "Asshole."
"Are you injured sir?" Hallidy asked as he tried to move Sheppard off McKay.
"No. Just help me get him to the bed would you?"
Once they had the colonel situated, McKay slid down the wall until the floor stopped him. He watched as the doctor checked Sheppard's back and any other injuries he might have.
"Jae didn't rescue you from the Wraith, did he?"
"How could you tell? Was it that chair or the knuckle prints on my face match Papa's?" McKay let his head rest on his knees. "The eyeball twins happened upon our arrival to a planet while we were grocery shopping. They kidnapped us and brought us here."
The doctor continued working on Sheppard's back as he spoke, "He told us that descendants of the Ancestors were on their way to help. He told us a deal was made. When Jae brought me to tend Col. Sheppard earlier, he said that he had injured himself while delirious from other injuries incurred by the Wraith."
He stopped for a moment and turned around. "Do you know what it's like to find your good friend has been lying to you?"
McKay snorted and looked up at Sheppard. "Yes, yes I do."
Oh, he was not going to let Sheppard off the hook easily. Not after all the crap he had to endure from him.
"When we get the chance, he and I are going to have a long overdue chat."
The doctor raised his eyebrows as if to say oh really. "I suppose I'll have to do the same."
Rodney closed his eyes. Yep, a very long chat.
Next thing he knew, Dr. Hallidy was shaking him.
"I'm finished. I had Bama bring some uncontaminated water. Hope you didn't drink any from the tap in the bathroom."
Groggily, Rodney shook his head.
"I checked the pitcher. It's fine."
McKay rubbed his bleary eyes and mumbled, "Thanks…for everything."
"Dr. McKay, he's started with an infection. A fever might soon follow; I'll come back a little later. Jae won't let me leave, so I'm here all night."
"I'll make sure to tip my waiters and waitresses."
Hallidy just stared at him.
"Never mind. Thanks for casting the bones and shaking the chicken feet." Rodney rotated his neck as Hallidy patted him on the shoulder. "There are some clean clothes on the table." Then he was gone.
Rodney fell back asleep.
------------------
"McKay."
Rodney rolled over on the very hard, back breaking floor.
"McKay."
"Go away, let me sleep." An arm came out of the blanket and swatted at absolutely nothing.
Something landed squarely on his head with enough force to hurt. "Ouch! What the...?" His hand fell on a Pegasus Galaxy issued shoe. He rolled over and looked right at a very amused Lt. Col. John Sheppard.
"Sheesh McKay, took footwear to the head to wake you up."
"Oh no you don't. You don't get to be smug or amused or anything! Not after what you've put me through…the last couple of days." That conversation was not for now. McKay sat up and crawled over to the bed.
A pale, splotchy, sweaty, clammy, glassy eyed but vocal Sheppard looked back at him.
"Now for the 64 thousand dollar question…" began McKay.
"Craptacular." Sheppard said weakly. "But not gonna complain too loud, like to keep my voice now it's back. Brando and the Crimson Tide can both go to hell though. Same with Bose."
"Brando? I was thinking more Orson Wells."
"Wells hunh? I can see that."
"I named Bama, Lurch," proclaimed Rodney proudly.
Sheppard actually laughed which morphed into a cough.
When it died down, he became serious. "McKay, I'm not going back in that chair."
"I know."
"I'm not going to be able to take much more." Sheppard lay on the bed rubbing his chest.
"I know." McKay gave Sheppard an intense look. "Say when."
"When." Sheppard grew pensive and quietly said, "There's something else."
"Not now, I can't have your sense of duty distract me from the experiment today." McKay looked around the room. He spotted the clothes.
"Now that surprises me McKay. I thought you could handle three things in that noodle of yours."
"Very funny. Anyway, we're being monitored. So unless you want it broadcast, keep it to yourself for now." McKay stood up grabbed one set and walked into the bathroom. "The water's safe. Smell it to make sure though."
Sheppard tried to sit up and failed miserably. He was still in the same position when Rodney came back into the room.
"Can you help a little? I can hardly move."
McKay was amazed at the calmness in Sheppard's voice, because his was about to be anything but.
"Oh God, you're paralyzed. That infernal machine paralyzed you!"
"McKay."
Then other things occurred to him. "Flying! You won't be able to fly!"
"McKay."
"They'll ship you back!"
"McKay! I'm just really sore. Can you help me sit up and pour the water?" Sheppard tried to lift his head up.
McKay stood in the doorway to the bathroom. "Oh. Well yeah. Sure."
He came over to the bed and helped Sheppard to sit and lean against the wall. He turned to the pitcher and smelled it. He looked it over and found it acceptable. He poured it into the cup and helped the colonel drink. "Not too much, I don't want to wear it."
"Thanks Nurse Ratched."
"Shut up."
"Hell no."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Let's get you changed."
A few minutes later, the door opened and Bama came in. McKay gave one last look at Sheppard. "When." He followed Bama out the door.
Sheppard watched McKay go. He let his thoughts turn inwards. His entire body hurt. And damn it, he was tired of comparing himself to a kitten. He was now a vociferous kitten, but a kitten none the less.
When. Trust him hunh?
"All the way," he whispered confidently to himself. Relief was the only way to describe what he was feeling. The conversation would take place back home. McKay had a plan. A plan that hopefully took into account he was not going very far on his own.
By the way, he was really, really hungry. Every time he was given something it ended up on the floor or on Bose. Soon, food, good, ugh. He smiled to himself.
So for right now he would wait, do a little dance and drink a little water.
Time floated by as he slipped into a touch of delirium. He hardly noticed when the door to the room blew apart and his body was enveloped in a bright explosive flash.
A/N: The end. OK maybe not.