Touched By An Ancient
By Ann3
Writer's note - hm, computer crashes have their good points after all. Didn't get much done at work today, but on the plus side I managed to get another chapter finished, so here it is.
Keeping with the real life ages of Messrs Flanigan, Hewlett & McGillion (jeez, makes 'em sound like a law firm, sorry boys !), I've also made Rodney the 'middle brother' of our favourite terrible trio, if only by a few months. I'm not sure if that's in keeping with the series, since it's not been mentioned officially anywhere, but... well, please look on it as writer's licence. And with the amount of times he gets picked on, Carson makes such an adorable junior brother !
As always, I hope you enjoy !
Chapter Ten
"I wonder what he's dreaming about… what he's facing…" Elizabeth mused with a thoughtful smile – allowing herself a soft chuckle of laughter at the two equally irreverent replies that followed.
"Knowing Carson, he's probably got it tucked up in bed, force feeding it chicken soup…"
"Either that, or he's introducing it to the… uh… wonders of voodoo…"
Not that she blamed them for such lighthearted spirits. Not after that morning's truly wonderful breakthrough.
"Now, boys…" she said at last, casting as stern a look as she could manage across Carson's bed. "No fair to be picking on your little brother, when he's not even awake to defend himself…"
Unfazed, as always, John Sheppard and Rodney McKay merely shrugged in token obeyance – shared smiles growing into all out grins as they, too, enjoyed the new cause for optimism beside them.
As before, it had taken a while for them to see why Kate had called them so excitedly to the Infirmary It had, perhaps, been another quirk of Ancient fate that McKay had heard and spotted it first – a deep and soft sigh, the briefest twitch of still firmly closed eyelids, before the inevitable return to silence and stillness.
That had been just over five hours ago. Somewhat disappointingly, Carson hadn't moved again since. Neither had a certain scientist, who seemed intent on nagging his friend back to the living world. And while the entire city now shared his excitement, if not his impatience, for that moment to arrive – well, that hypervoluble scientist was now in serious danger of getting a sedative shot in the butt.
"Why hasn't he moved again…?" McKay demanded, oblivious to the dangerous roll of Kate's eyes. "I mean, we – we all saw him move, right…? And – And you told us he was starting to come out of it. You told us to keep talking to him, that – that he could hear us… so why hasn't he woken up yet…?"
As Kate's eyes drifted to the nearest meds tray, it was left to John Sheppard to mercifully intervene. And while a gentle cuff across the top of McKay's head wasn't quite the solution Kate had in mind, the result was thankfully the same as the regular bane of her life fell into sulkily pouting silence
"Because wherever he is, Rodney, he needs to stay there, just a little longer…okay…?"
Winking at Kate and Elizabeth, in sufferance they understood only too well, John then shrugged – driving the punchline home with about as much subtle delicacy as a Wraith stunner on full blast.
"And since you've been nagging him, non-stop, for the last five hours, he's probably ignoring you…"
"Or at least enjoying the peace and quiet…" Elizabeth grinned, just as eager to join in the fun.
"Lucky bugger…" Kate muttered from where she stood checking Carson's eyes for reflex.
Feeling that three against one was just a tad unfair, McKay was all ready with the inevitable retort – Kate's voice silencing him more effectively than sedatives, head slaps and Wraith stunners combined.
"Carson…? Carson, it's me, it's Kate… can you hear me…? Carson, can you hear me…!"
It had come so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that for several moments no one could grasp its significance. Honour bound as their leader, it was Elizabeth who softly, excitedly, ventured the hopes of hundreds.
"Kate…? Is – Is he…?"
"Coming out of it a bit more…?" Kate finished for her, the broad smile on her face saying it all. "Aye, lass, he is… his eyes are becoming reactive again, and he just squeezed my hand, so yes… he'son his way back…"
Whether her patient would thank her what she did next, or throttle her, remained to be seen, but – well, Kate thought dryly, he wasn't the one who now faced such hopeful, silently pleading blue eyes.
"He's still going through a hell of a lot, Rodney, so just bear that in mind…" she said at last – a warm smile making her next firm words less of an order and more of a friendly suggestion. "Just call him, like I did just then, just see if he can respond to your voice… okay…?
Nodding in strangely nervous agreement, McKay took over her gentle grip on Carson's left hand – the non-stop chatter of before now condensed into just a handful of soft, hesitantly stammered words.
"C – Carson…? Carson…? Can – Can you hear me…?"
The response had been so brief, so faint, that it had barely been detectable. But that didn't matter. It didn't stop the elated hugs and backslaps which now erupted along Carson Beckett's bedside. Because a voice that had been lost to them for almost two days had finally, faintly, made its way back.
"R – R'dn'y…?"