When It Snows (part 3)
A burst of cold air cut through the small enclosure and Rodney drew the emergency blanket tighter about himself in an attempt not to lose any valuable heat. Hearing someone moving around, and then feeling something brush against his feet, he shifted away and blinked several times in an effort to gain his bearings.
"Rodney?" Teyla moved over to the scientist's side and watched carefully as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"How long?" he asked, reaching out to help her extricate her arm from the bulky parka she was wearing.
Free of the cumbersome material, she nodded thanks and sat down beside him. "You have been asleep for over an hour."
"An hour?" Rodney snapped as he suddenly sat up and stared past her, trying to see Carson, the movement making his head spin. Closing his eyes momentarily, he opened them to find her concerned expression boring into him.
"Are you unwell?"
He frowned as he took a mental inventory. Headache, scratchy throat, sinuses hurt, and he had that general achy feeling in his bones. What he wouldn't give for some Nyquil and a soft pillow. Instead he sniffled, took a deep breath, and pushed the blanket away. "I'm fine. Just a cold."
Her mouth opened to comment as she took in his unhealthy appearance, but then she chose to remain quiet. Instead she shifted her focus back to the small glowing fire and strategically added a few more pieces of wood before testing the warmth of two bottles of water heated on the side. "I believe these are ready. Can you hand me the ones by Dr. Beckett?"
Rodney had already shifted around the tree stump and was checking on Carson. Reaching under the blankets and clothing piled over the physician, he registered the cool temperature of his friend's skin as he removed the bottles. "This isn't going to work. We need to get him warmed faster."
"What can we do?"
He glanced around and noticed his sweatshirt hanging from a branch near the fire. "Is that dry, yet?"
Teyla reached over and felt the fabric. Finding it warm once more, she pulled it free and handed it to Rodney. She watched curiously as he turned it inside out with the fleece side exposed and then slipped it over his head, keeping the hood up to cover his short hair. He next checked his pants to see if they were dry. When he began to unbuckle his belt, he caught himself and glanced in her direction, and she turned to face the fire.
When the shuffling noises grew quiet behind her, she dared to turn back around and found the scientist sitting with his back against the tree, the emergency blanket pulled around his shoulders, and his thermal clad legs sticking out before him. His eyes caught hers and he nodded towards Carson.
Together, they shifted the sleeping physician into position so that he leaned back against Rodney's chest. With the warmed bottles of water once more tucked between his knees and behind his neck, they then wrapped the remaining blankets around the shivering man.
"What else should I do?" Teyla asked when the men were finally settled.
"We need to drink something warm." Rodney frowned when he remembered that he'd had her melt the candy in the water earlier. "Is there any…" he started to ask but she was a step ahead of him and passed over one of the cups from their pack filled with the steaming liquid. Taking a hesitant sip and surprised by the minty taste, he closed his eyes as the soothing drink washed down over his sore throat. "Not bad," he mumbled, feeling the warmth spread through his empty stomach.
Finishing the mugful, he set the empty cup down at his side. "Let's see if we can get Sleeping Beauty to take a little," he said as he tapped Carson's cheeks lightly. "Wakey, wakey, Bones."
Carson stirred briefly but remained asleep.
Rodney shifted slightly, pulling the physician higher up against his chest. He could feel the fine shivers and cold emanating off his friend. With another tap to the cheek, this time with a hint of a sting, he cajoled the doctor to wake.
"Hmm," Carson mumbled, his head turning into the hand pressed against his face. He could hear someone speaking but he didn't have the energy to respond and didn't want to move away from the encompassing warmth that surrounded him. When he felt something pressed against his lips and warm steam reach his nostrils, he reflexively swallowed a small sip.
"That's it. A little more," Rodney encouraged, tipping the cup and allowing another sip. Soon half the drink was gone before Beckett fell back asleep.
Rodney handed the remains over to Teyla. He didn't know how long they would be out here and didn't want to waste any. When she returned to the fire, he noticed for the first time that the pile of branches beside the opening was larger than he'd originally stacked. His eyes glanced over to the jacket he'd helped her remove earlier and then back to the opening. "You went back out?" he rasped, the smoke from the fire irritating his already burning throat.
She nodded, "I wanted to make sure we had enough to get through the night."
"Good thinking," he said and she smiled at his words. "What's the weather like? Is it still snowing?"
"It is very dark and the snow falls harder than before."
"Wonderful, sounds like a blizzard." He rested his head back against the tree and looked up into the darkened branches above lit only by the dancing firelight. Every once in awhile a drip of water fell from above to splat about their small shelter. "We have to be careful with the fire, and not let it get too hot."
Teyla glanced up to where he was looking and then to the small fire. "Rodney, may I ask you a question?"
His head tipped sideways to look at her, his cheek resting on top of Carson's hair.
"We have been off world many times together and you have always made clear your displeasure of sleeping outdoors. And yet you have taken control of our current situation with surprising skill and familiarity. How is it that you know all of this?"
A hint of a smile spread across his tired face and he sighed, which then triggered an uncomfortable cough that he made sure to do away from her and Carson. She quickly added more liquid to his empty cup and passed it over. Once he'd swallowed a sip and stopped the tickle in his throat, he nodded his thanks as he set the cup back down.
"You are unwell." Her statement left no room for argument.
Didn't they just go through this, he thought? "It's just a cold. As long as I'm careful it won't get worse."
Before he had a chance to say more, her cool hand pressed against his forehead and then face. "You are warm but I do not believe you have a fever." She sat back on her heels and scrutinized her teammates, then glanced to her watch. "We need to eat."
"I figured you'd had something while we slept earlier." Rodney really didn't think he was up for an MRE at the moment, the idea of the salty thick food making his stomach churn unhappily.
Teyla shook her head and reached for the small sweet cakes made by the villagers. Somehow she knew McKay was avoiding food and thought that maybe the treat would entice him to try something. When she handed him half of one, he refused. "Rodney, you must eat," she insisted, trying to pass it back.
He shook his head no. "It has fruit in it."
She glanced down realizing her mistake. "I am sorry, I did not think."
"Don't worry about it; I'm so used to checking that it's automatic." Rodney shifted his back against the tree, trying to get more comfortable. When he glanced back over at her, he saw her watching him. "You don't happen to have a pillow stuffed in your pack, do you?"
"No, but perhaps my coat would make your position more at ease." Folding the bulky material, she pressed it between his spine and the stump, then stuffing the hood behind his neck for support. "Better?"
He nodded before reaching under the blankets and removing the now cooled bottles of water. Taking them out of the socks, he passed them to Teyla for an exchange. With new warmth radiating once again beneath the blankets he began to drift back asleep.
There was a crinkling sound in the stillness and then a familiar shape was pressed into his right hand.
"You must eat," Teyla urged quietly.
Rodney lifted the power bar up and sniffed it. Apple. It could be worse, she might have handed him a peanut butter one. Silently longing for chicken noodle soup, he forced himself to take a bite and discovered that even though he thought he wasn't hungry, the bar disappeared way too quickly. He washed it down with several more swallows of the minty drink before handing Teyla his empty cup. "Thank you."
She nodded, stifling a yawn of her own. Checking the fire, she added another piece of wood before taking the final coat and curling up beneath it beside Rodney's leg.
Within moments, the team lay curled up together, warm and safe, protected from the powerful storm outside.
SG: A
Sheppard prowled like an agitated tiger back and forth in front of the closed gate, stopping every ten steps to stare at the empty circle, spin on his heel, and then continue. Arms folded across his chest, he refused to look up towards the control center in case he might spot Elizabeth watching him. 'It was her fault,' he mentally ranted. She was the "Head of Atlantis" and "She" made all final decisions. Just because this time it involved his team, but wasn't a military operation, he didn't need to go with them, or so she'd decided.
They all knew the villagers on M67whatever were friendly, and the population was so sparse that the Wraith didn't even bother with them, but come on, they were talking about Beckett and McKay with only Teyla to keep them out of trouble. The trio was now hours overdue and the MALP that had been sent through transmitted back readings of what had to be the worst winter storm since the Donner party tried to cross the Sierras.
The familiar hum of the gate activating stopped his pacing and he turned expectantly to watch the chevrons light before stepping out of the way of the expanding and retracting whoosh. Disappointed to see that it wasn't the team dialing back in, he returned to his pacing and stopped before the glowing pool. Just one step and he'd be with them.
Before he even had the chance to formulate his next move, a large hand dropped on his shoulder.
"Not yet," Dex said quietly.
"They could be in real trouble," Sheppard hissed under his breath, his eyes never leaving the wormhole.
"They could also be warm, listening to McKay complain, in front of one of the villager's fires."
"Do you really believe that? Because the McKay I know doesn't stick around on planets once the job is done. He's always in a rush to get back to his lab."
Ronon folded his arms over his chest, his feet planted firmly apart, as he stared hard at the puddle, "Our gear is in the hallway. When the time is right, I believe we should make our move."
For the first time the colonel looked away to meet the runner's expression and discovered that Ronon stood beside him with his all too familiar long coat on.
With his back to those on the control level, Dex lifted up his shirt to reveal a layer of thermal protection. "Perhaps you might think about getting some coffee," he rumbled, his one raised eyebrow slyly directed towards those watching from above.
"Oh, you're good."
"I know."
Sheppard turned around and faced the upper deck. "Anything?" he called out.
"Sorry, the storm is still too strong," Elizabeth said from her position along the railing. Giving the command to shut down the gate, she rubbed her hands over her face and sighed, "We'll try again in half an hour."
She looked worried and he knew he was about to get in serious trouble for taking advantage of the situation, but the longer they were out there, the more possibilities flooded his brain. "I'm going for coffee," he growled up at her. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he brusquely turned and headed for the nearest hallway, breaking into a run as soon as he was out of sight. He had half an hour before the next check and he needed to get some work done.
SG: A
Back on the planet, safely tucked away underneath the heavy branches of the ancient tree, Carson stirred. He felt like he had aged one hundred years, his body stiff and aching, his head pounding a merciless beat inside his skull. And he was so damn cold. Although not as cold as he remembered.
Shifting slightly to ease a painful crick in his tailbone, he realized that he was leaning against someone warm. And upon further inspection, discovered that the arms wrapped around him holding the blankets firmly to his chest looked very familiar. When he tipped his head to catch a glimpse of who was behind him, an item came lose from behind his neck and fell to land on another person huddled under a coat at their side.
Teyla's dark brown eyes peered up when the water bottle fell on her head and startled her. Seeing the physician's blue eyes looking at her, she softly smiled. "It is good to see you awake. Can I get you anything? Perhaps something warm to drink and a bite to eat?"
"Drink," Carson attempted to say but his voice cracked painfully and it sounded more like, "Trnk."
She seemed to understand and leaned over to the small fire. Adding more branches to the dying flame, she then swapped another bottle for a cool one, and then poured more candy water into a cup. Finding the temperature of the liquid too hot, she quickly reached out to the narrow opening and grabbed a handful of snow, before dropping small chunks in the drink and the rest in a bowl
"Drink slowly," she encouraged, holding the cup to his lips. After he finished half and closed his eyes, she set it on the ground. "How do you feel?"
"Terrible," he mumbled, shifting to get slightly more comfortable in the arms holding him. "Headache…"
"Rodney gave you some medicine earlier. Would you like me to get you more?"
Carson's eyes popped back open and he glanced at the arms again. Then he twisted slowly to see the face resting against the tree behind him. A small smile spread across the physician's face as he recognized drooling scientist. Upon closer inspection, his smile faded as he picked up on the slight wheeze of each breath and fine pinched lines of pain across McKay's brow. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
"He claims to have a cold," she answered, holding out two more tablets and dropping them on Carson's tongue when he opened his mouth.
He swallowed several more sips of water, washing down the medicine, before turning his head to lean his ear against Rodney's chest. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sound of air being noisily drawn in and then expelled. "Teyla, how long has he been feeling poorly?"
"A few hours. He also took medication earlier."
Carson was having difficulty keeping his eyes open but he really needed to make sure Rodney was okay. "Bring my bag," he mumbled to Teyla and she promptly produced it to his side. "There's another packet of pills…little red ones. When he wakes up, make sure he takes two with two of white tablets." He no longer had control of his exhausted body and sagged back against his friend mumbling the word, "Antihistamine."
Finding the red tablets, she set them aside with more of the white ones.
Her stomach growled painfully, reminding her that breakfast and lunch had been long ago and the small cake from earlier was not enough nourishment. Rummaging through the MRE's, she set two next to the warmth of the fire to heat for dinner. Then taking another of the ornate pieces of pottery, she scooped it full of snow and set it in the coals to heat. Since both of the doctors had little appetite but needed to eat, she decided to fix the simple dinner and then wake them.
The military meals heated quickly and she set them to the side before dropping a packet of tea into the now boiling water. Stirring it with a stick, she was completely unprepared for the sudden snap and burst of the small pot as it overheated in the fire and burst, spraying her with scorching hot liquid over her hands and face.
Tumbling back from the fire, she cried out in pain.
TBC