Disclaimer: SGA - not mine, don't sue! For fan enjoyment, not profit….

AN: SPOILERS FOR "GRACE UNDER PRESSURE" - You have been Warned!

Decompression - Take 2

By Kerr Avon

"Ringers, IV tubing, catheters, tape, O2, urinals, foley, first aid kit, exam kit, bandages, blankets, fresh water, defibrillator…" Beckett went over the supply cart one last time as Jumper One eased into its berth in the Jumper Bay. Turning to his nurse, he instructed, "Conservatively, we'll probably need to be in there almost 24 hours, and there will reasonably only be room for one person. Still, if my idea works, I want a portable toilet set up right outside the rear hatch, and some screens around it for privacy. Also, that's where I'll have you leave any supplies we might want. Make sure someone is monitoring my frequency at all times in case I need you."

The nurse nodded efficiently as Sheppard's voice came over the radio. "Hey, doc, we're here. So how do we get you on board without blowing off the back hatch?"

Beckett keyed his mike. "As I understand it, Colonel, Dr. Zelenka has modified the Jumper's cloak to be a shield?"

"Yeah, but it can drain a lot of power."

"Still, what if you were hooked up to the recharge station?"

Sheppard had a quick consultation with Zelenka before replying, "That would work, as long as Atlantis' power holds out."

Beckett chuckled grimly. "Could you pressurize the area outside the ship within the shield to the same pressure as inside the ship?"

Beckett could practically hear the lightbulb go on. "So, you stand outside our back hatch, we establish the shield, pressurize the area under the shield to an equilibrium, then open the hatch. Neat."

"I can modify an external exhaust vent to transmit the pressure," Zelenka piped up. "And we can turn off the shield once you're on board. 'Thin it' slowly, so that the pressure doesn't explode outwards…." He trailed off, mumbling, as he set to work.

Beckett moved his supplies over to the hatch and stood waiting. His patience was rewarded; in just a few moments an electronic hum materialized, followed shortly thereafter by a hissing sound. 'Good lad!' he thought again. Moments later the hatch cracked open, and Beckett began to move forward. Before he had taken two steps, however, Zelenka appeared holding a wadded jacket at arm's length. Walking determinedly past the physician, he grimaced and set it down near the edge of the field. Carson had caught a whiff as it went by, and could guess the contents. Without a word he headed into the Jumper.

Kneeling by the drowsing scientist, he did a quick initial assessment. 'Color - pale, but mottled; heart rate - 110; respiratory rate - 20 and shallow; BP 98/42.' Auscultation revealed good breath sounds bilaterally, and no muffling of the heart tones. 'Rule out pneumothorax, rule out pericardial tamponade…is dehydrated, though. Water, water, everywhere…'

Breaking out a bag of IV fluids and spiking it, he handed it to a hovering Sheppard. "Hang this from something sturdy, would you?" he asked, as he turned to access the vein. It took three tries to do so successfully, and his worry increased as he heard no complaints from his normally-recalcitrant patient. He taped it securely in place, then dialed it wide open.

"So?" asked Sheppard, as Zelenka shifted nervously from foot-to-foot just behind him.

"I'll know more in a minute," replied the physician. 'Time for damage assessment.' Taking off the crude bandagefrom McKay's forehead, he whistled at the bruising underneath. The laceration was fairly shallow, and wouldn't need stitches, but it certainly did need to be cleaned. Still, that could wait. He gently palpated the area for step-offs or irregularities that might indicate a skull fracture, and sighed mentally in relief when he found none.

"Rodney? Can you hear me?", he asked, assessing the astrophysicist's mental status. "Come on, Rodney, open your eyes."

McKay moaned, then mumbled, "Go 'way…"

Beckett smiled. 'Well, at least it's an appropriate verbal response…' "Come on, Doctor McKay." Beckett became stern. "I need you to cooperate with me here."

His statement was met with a protesting moan, but nothing else.

Breaking out the bottle of Betadyne, he decided to kill two birds with one stone. Liberally dousing a gauze pad with the antiseptic, he began to clean the wound he'd just examined.

McKay's eyes flew open and his hand unsuccessfully grasped at Beckett's wrist. "Ow! That hurts!" He blinked up at the doctor. "Carson. What are you doing here?" He glanced around the compartment. "Where'd Sam go?"

"I'm trying to examine you and clean this up," Beckett replied matter-of-fact. 'OK, eye opening to pain - 2; localizes pain - 5; confused conversation -4; total Glasgow Coma Scale - 11….not good, but not as bad as it could be.'

"Sam who?" asked Sheppard, confused. "Was that Griffin's first name?"

McKay shot him an irritated glare. "How should I know?"

Zelenka piped up in explanation, "I think he's referring to Dr. Samantha Carter. I believe he hallucinated her presence after his head injury."

Beckett's eyebrows shot to his hairline as he turned back to his patient. "Really?"

McKay lowered his gaze defensively. "Yes…but I'm not crazy!"

Beckett was confused. "I never thought ye were. But this is important; when did you first see her? Right after you woke up?"

McKay started to sit up, but was halted by Beckett's gentle hand on his chest. "No." He gulped twice to quell the resurgence of nausea that the attempted movement had awoken. "It was…not too long after I dialed up the CO2 scrubbers." His head was throbbing, and he found it difficult to concentrate.

"And why'd ye do that?" queried Carson.

"Because I was suffering from hypoxia! I was laughing hysterically at things that weren't funny…"

Beckett snorted. "Leave the medical diagnoses to the experts, Rodney. You were suffering from nitrogen narcosis, not hypoxia. Symptoms include giddiness, impaired judgment and coordination, exhilaration, extreme anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Often people have very pleasant…even erotic…hallucinations. Sound familiar?"

Despite the pounding in his head, McKay managed to blush.

Sheppard grinned crookedly and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Erotic, huh? Anything we should know about?"

McKay sent him a disgusted glare, but didn't deign to reply. Beckett merely chortled and poured a little more iodine solution on a clean pad. "I'll bet it really got interesting after you dialed up the pressure…"

"Well, as a matter of fact…Owww! What are you trying to do, take my skin off?"

"Lay still, and I'll be done in a minute." He continued his gentle cleaning until he was satisfied, then placed a fresh bandage. "Now then, since you're awake, I'll need to be asking you some questions."

McKay squinted at him suspiciously from his position on his side, but grunted assent.

Palpating first his neck, then the remainder of the spine, Beckett inquired, "Does any of this hurt?"

McKay's eyes darted to the side as if looking for the correct answer. "No, not really?" he finally hazarded.

Beckett smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, lad, there are no right or wrong replies. It's important that you're honest with me, though."

"Oh."

"So nothing hurts along your back or your neck?"

"No…but my head is killing me."

"Not a surprise. Once I get through my exam, I'll give you something to help. Right now, though, painkillers might mask something more important." He sighed. "Much as I hate to 'clinically clear' your spine, it seems to be OK. Now, I want you to take your time and roll over onto your back."

McKay grimaced, but tried to do as he was told. "Ohhh, everything aches…" he moaned.

Carson winced in sympathy, but proceeded with his examination. He discovered a number of contusions and ecchymoses, but no evidence of intra-abdominal injury or long-bone fracture. An oral temperature was only 96.9 F, so he was still hypothermic, but not to a threatening degree. Beckett finally sat back and smiled.

"Well, good. Nothing we didn't already know about." Turning to his supply cart, he extricated a set of warm sweats, socks, and a woolen cap. Turning to the other two hovering men, he held up the garments as he asked, "Would you gentlemen mind helping…."

"I can do it. I've been dressing myself since I was two!" McKay huffed, reaching for the clothing. That was a mistake. As soon as he tried to sit up his head began throbbing to the point that his vision momentarily clouded over. Groaning, he put a hand to his forehead and collapsed back on the couch.

Merely raising an eyebrow, Beckett asked, "Gentlemen?"

Between the three of them they soon had the scientist swaddled in warm, comfortable clothes and covered by fresh blankets. Checking the IV, Beckett dialed it down to a lower rate, then replaced the oxygen mask. "Now I'll give you something for your head," Beckett commented, digging out a vial from his kit. He deftly drew up the narcotic and slipped it into the IV. Within moments McKay felt the pain recede to a dull roar.

Sluggish from both the head injury and the drug, he found himself drifting into a comfortable doze. He felt Beckett check his blood pressure again just before he fell asleep.

TBC……

AN: I wanted to thank everybody, including emergencyfan, for their kind words. That's what makes this so much fun!