Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Stargate: Atlantis, nor will I ever own any... I can only dream.
I'd like to start off by giving a BIG THANKS to Satio for being my beta! You're the greatest!
AN: Hooray for Reviews! I love reading them. Things are going to start to pick up more in the next chapter, so I hope you all stick around! And I apologize if the accents are wrong, I tried.
So Please Enjoy and Review.
"Tell me that you can fix this," John wasted no time as he barged into the science labs. After talking with Carson, he felt powerless to do anything for his teammate. If there was one thing that John hated, it was being helpless.
Zelenka looked up from his computer with a frown. "Things are moving slowly, but they are moving Colonel."
Looking around the lab, he could see that everyone was busy with one thing or another. Somehow it didn't seem enough; Rodney deserved more. The scared, helpless boy sleeping in the infirmary deserved so much more. That knowledge churned in the Colonel's stomach, but he knew that it wasn't anyone's fault, at least not anyone in this room. "Fine, tell me what happened."
Zelenka stood up and looked at the Colonel uncomfortably. "We were looking at an artifact that we found on P433X9." He pointed to the object on the other side of the room. It looked like a smaller version of the monoliths one would expect to find in Egypt; only this one was about 3 feet high and made of some type of metal. A first Sheppard thought the metal was just regular steel. However as he made his way deeper into the room, strangle cravings would appear at certain angles. "Rodney found the power source was depleted, asked me to hook it to a generator. That was when the bad thing happened." Zelenka could see the desperation in the Colonel's eyes and understood it. "It's only recently we've been able to find the purpose of the device."
"Which is?"
"It was created as a way to cheat death."
"What!" Sheppard whipped his head around to look at the seemingly harmless device. That shining monolith was cause of all this trouble.
"Yes, I can understand your surprise. But the device is flawed. It was meant to revert the aging process maybe even reverse the effects of the Wraith by making the user younger however in the processes it also relapses the memory as well."
"Can it be reversed?" Sheppard almost cringed when Zelenka sighed.
"From what we can tell, the civilization was culled before a solution was found." Zelenka removed his glasses and rubbed his face with his hands. He had been hunched over the computer for the last six hours trying to figure out a way to help his friend.
"Damn it," Sheppard slammed his fist against the table next to him causing a lab tech to jump.
"We are working out a solution, Colonel. If there is a way to fix Rodney, we will find it."
Looking at Zelenka, he knew that it was true. He suddenly started to feel the tiredness in his muscles. He had been running on full stream and the day was finally catching up with him. "I know you will. Today just hasn't been going well."
"Is Rodney okay?"
"He's…" Sheppard paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Well that is… as well as can be expected, considering."
"So you know about his father, do you?" John stared at the scientist in front of him.
"Excuse me?" Instead of answering Zelenka stood up and motioned for Sheppard to follow him into what appeared to be an office. When the door closed behind him, Zelenka replied.
"I am close to Rodney, and I am sure you know about my distiller." John nodded. "The week after the Wraith attacked Atlantis, McKay and I celebrated. By the end of the night, he became very inebriated. When I took him to his room, he seemed to forget where and when he was for a moment. After some talking, I learned of his 'unhappy' upbringing."
At first Sheppard didn't respond- he was absorbing everything that was being said. His first response was to be angry with the Czech due to the fact that he knew something so important about Rodney something that Sheppard himself knew nothing about. But he knew that it wasn't Zelenka's fault. "How long will it take you?"
"Honestly? I do not know Anywhere from a week to a month. Don't worry Colonel, we will find solution."
"I'm not concerned so much about you guys."
"I know." Putting a hand on the tired soldier's arm, Zelenka guided Sheppard out of the office. "Maybe we get lucky. Find a solution tonight. It's still early, only nine o'clock." Both men smiled, "you should get some rest Colonel. You don't look so good."
"Thanks, it's been a long day." When he reached the doorway, he turned and wished the scientists luck before leaving.
Running over the events of the day on his way to the room, Sheppard didn't notice Ronon until he almost ran into him. "Hey big guy, you should give a man some warning."
"You should watch where you're going, Sheppard." John searched for a response, but words seemed to be eluding him at the moment. "Teyla told me that McKay's been turned into a kid."
"Yeah, he has."
The Satedan grinned and laughed slightly. "This I got to see." He was about to leave when Sheppard grabbed his arm.
"Hey listen, Ronon. Rodney doesn't remember any of us, or any of this for that matter." He gestured at their surroundings, "he's a little worse for wear so if you're going to see him… be gentle, okay?"
"Is that an order?"
"Yes, that's an order."
Ronon could hear the strain in the man's voice and decided not to push the matter any further. "Okay then."
"Thanks." Heaving a sigh, John started down the corridor again. "Now if you don't mind, it's been a long day and I'm going to try and forget all this happened, and get some sleep." Ronon watched as Sheppard turned the corner before he headed towards the infirmary.
It was almost midnight and Carson sat at his desk going over the inventory for the next shipment of medical supplies. It wasn't very interesting but the last time he let someone else take care of it, they ended up with three hundred boxes of gloves but only enough aspirin to last them a week. It had been a mistake but Carson didn't want to take anymore chances. The doctor took a deep breath and leaned back onto his chair. Looking at his watch, he figured that he should check on the little tyke in the next room.
At first glance, it seemed as though Rodney hadn't moved at all since he fell asleep and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. However; Carson noticed that the blanket he had placed over the boy was strewn across the floor, and that he was breathing to quick for a peaceful rest. Picking up the blanket, Carson was about to placed the blanket back over his now smaller friend, when Rodney started to mutter and stir slightly. Moments later, Rodney started to toss in his sleep and his unintelligible mumbling grew louder. He was having a nightmare.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Carson slowly and gently shook his shoulders. "It's alright lad, you're just havin a bad dream." Rodney woke with a start, knocking the doctor's hand away and scanned the room for someone or something that didn't seem to be there. Carson held up his hands to show that he meant no harm. "You were having a nightmare You're safe now."
Rodney looked wearily at the doctor for a moment. It was only when he looked to his right at the other beds that he relaxed. "Sorry, Dr. Beckett," he stated, staring down at the blanket. Carson laughed softly and McKay looked up confused.
"You've nothing to apologize for Rodney."
"Oh… well, it's just…," Rodney trailed off, still avoiding looking at the doctor.
Carson allowed himself a small smile at how his friend was acting It was endearing and saddening at the same time. "If anyone should be apologizing it should be me." It was this that got Rodney to look up at the doctor. "The comment I made about your mother was out of line, and I'm sorry. Do ya think ya can forgive me?" Rodney just stared at Carson in disbelief. Whatever he had been expecting him to say or do, this was not it. "What do ya say lad? Can we start over?"
Rodney smiled slightly for what seemed to be the first time since the accident, whatever fears he had towards the doctor had faded. "Okay." Rodney extended his hand towards the doctor. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Rodney McKay."
"Lovely to meet ya, Rodney, I'm Dr. Beckett." Rodney's smile grew a bit more and his body language was lax and calm. He looked around at his surrounding for a moment, catching Carson's attention. "How do you like your accommodations?"
"They're pretty strange actually, but I like them."
"Really Usually kids are terrified of hospital rooms and doctors."
"I'M NOT A KID," the suddenly outburst startle Carson and even Rodney a little. "I don't mind hospitals all that much. And I actually really like doctors. There's this one at the local hospital who's really nice. He doesn't talk down to me like the other doctors. He knows that I'm really smart and that I understand more than other kids my age. He gives me candy every time go there, for my sister, but there's always two of everything." Rodney was almost whispering by the time he finished talking. His shoulders were hunched forward and he seemed tired, almost disheartened.
"Aye, I understand Rodney." Looking at the hunched shoulders of his friend in front of him, Carson wanted to comfort him. No, he needed to comfort him. Very slowly, Carson reached up and affectionately patted the boy's head. Rodney stiffened at first, but soon relaxed and let himself lean forward into the doctor that was sitting on bed. Carson left his hand on the back of Rodney's neck, squeezing it gently to try and offer comfort.
"This isn't a hallucination, is it?"
"Nay, it's real," he responded and smiled when he felt the boy sigh against him.
"Why do all of the worst things have to happen to me? This would be so much better if it wasn't real."
"Well, I could give you a head CT if you really wanted to rule out any brain trauma." There was a long pause and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing. Then he heard McKay laugh slightly The doctor let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"That's ok," Rodney started, but then he stopped. He straightened up and looked at the doctor, curiosity filling he eyes when he realized something. "I'm an astrophysicist?"
"That you are. You're one of the greatest, if not the best." Rodney smiled softly at the last comment, but he seemed disappointed. "What did you think you'd grow up to be?"
"A pianist, I've been taking lessons, but I'm not as good as my mother," Rodney paused before he added, "was. She was so happy when I told her…"
"Well, I can say that your mother would be proud of you, if she could see what are great man you've become." Carson hoped that this fact would make Rodney happy, but Rodney just scoffed at it.
"Proud, huh?" Carson looked as Rodney slowly started to regress.
"Yes, Rodney, she'd be very proud." But it didn't seem like the boy was listening anymore. His eyes seemed to have dimmed and stared at nothing.
"I don't think she'd be proud after what happened." Even sitting next to the boy, Carson had to lean forward to hear what was said.
"Mother's are mysterious creatures Rodney. They'll forgive the greatest of mistakes, no matter how terrible, when her children are involved." Seeing the tiredness in the boy's face and body language, Carson stood up and put the blanket over Rodney when he laid down.
Before closing his eyes to sleep, he looked up at Carson his eyes full of a pain that lurked just under the surface. It almost seemed as though he was going to ask something, but he just stared. Rodney wanted Dr. Beckett to be right, desperately. He had always trusted doctors- they were smart and knew lots of stuff about lots of things. "Are you sure?"
"Aye, I'm sure. Now I think it's time that you get some rest It's late." Carson waited for Rodney's eyes to close before hitting the light switch next to the bed. The infirmary was darkened, but not completely. He didn't want Rodney to panic if he woke up again in the night. Carson stopped on the way to the door, wondering if maybe he should just stay the night to look over the boy.
"You should get some sleep doc." Beckett nearly jumped out of his skin. How he missed Ronon, who was sitting three beds away from where he had been just with Rodney, he would never know.
"Bloody hell, Ronon, you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry." Carson couldn't help but smile at the man's briefness but got curious when Ronon didn't move from the bed.
"Well, if you're here to see Rodney, you've come too late. I'm not allowing anymore visitors for the night."
"I've already talked with him."
Carson stared at the large man in front of him wondering when he had been able to talk with Rodney. It was at that moment that he realized how settled in the man seemed to be. "How long have you been there?"
"Not too long," Carson knew that meant anywhere from five minutes to five hours.
"Well you shouldn't concern yourself about my sleeping habits. Someone has to stay with the wee one over there, and as great as my nursing staff maybe, I would rather it be someone Rodney was more comfortable with"
"I'll stay."
"Excuse me?"
"I came in earlier, to see if the rumors where true You were in your office talking to a nurse. I talked with McKay for a bit." Ronon stopped thinking that the explanation should have sufficed but from the look on the doctor's face, he realized that more information was needed. "He was pretending to be asleep when I came in. When I called him on it, he said that I was just an illusion of 'a battered mind', whatever that means. When he saw my gun he said, 'Even if you're not real, you might as well be useful.' So I agreed to watch over him while he slept."
The only thing Carson could do was stare at the man in front of him. Then he remembered how Rodney had relaxed a bit when he had looked over at what the doctor had thought were empty beds. "Well then, I guess that takes care of that. I shall see you in the morning." Ronon nodded and looked over to his sleeping teammate. Still eyeing Ronon, Carson started to leave.
He wondered if Rodney would be surprised to learn that so many people were worried about him. When he reached his room, Carson activated his radio before taking it off. Once he got hold of Elizabeth, he requested that she ask SGC for Rodney's unabridged medical file during the next transmission with Earth. If there was any hope of helping his friend, Carson he needed to know everything.