Thanks for all the reviews. Carson and Rodney are fun to write – hopefully you'll enjoy reading it too!
OoOoO
As soon as the others left, whilst Rodney was still explaining how his accident had happened, Carson got to work on Rodney's leg. It was obvious that he had managed to break the tibia and fibula. Thankfully, it was not an open fracture, and so the risk of infection or further complications were less.
"Okay, Rodney," Carson said, breaking into Rodney's explanation of where he lost control. "I'm going to straighten your leg. I've injected some anaesthetic into the area to help reduce the pain, but it's still going to hurt."
"Thanks for that Carson," Rodney replied. "Don't you have anything in your voodoo bag of tricks to get rid of the pain completely?"
"Well," Carson said thoughtfully. "I could knock you out completely, but I need you conscious to check for circulation and possible nerve damage."
"Okay," Rodney said, with an air of resignation. "Do your worst."
Carson gently took Rodney's leg and straightened it out. Rodney yelped in pain, but then tried to contain his exclamations. Carson glanced up and to check on his friend's reaction to the pain and he noticed that Rodney's jaw was clenched.
Once he got the leg straight, Carson gently put a plastic splint on it to stabilise it. He then raised the leg slightly on a pillow he had brought from the Infirmary.
Carson then tested the pulse on Rodney's leg to make sure that the blood supply had not been compromised by the injury.
"Okay, Rodney," Carson spoke again. "I'm going to test for nerve damage. Let me know if you can feel this."
"Ouch!" Rodney said. "Yes, I can most certainly feel that. What is it? Are you branching out into acupuncture now? Or do you just like using me as a pin-cushion?"
"And can you feel it here?" Carson continued, ignoring Rodney's remarks out of long practice.
"Yes, I can," Rodney said, through gritted teeth.
"Good," Carson said, sitting back on his heels. "It's a nasty break, but not as bad as it could be. Here are some painkillers. They should kick in soon, and I'll put some ice on it. You've got some nasty bruising and swelling started there already, and it's as well to get it under control straight away."
Rodney just nodded. Carson glanced at his unusually quiet friend. He noticed the slightly grey pallor to his face.
"Is there anywhere else that hurts, Rodney?" he asked gently. As he spoke, he started to gently check over the rest of Rodney's body. Rodney let out a yelp when Carson reached his ribs. Carson just gave the scientist a look, and continued his examination.
"Well, lad," he said. "I think you've been lucky. Aside from your broken leg, there are just cuts and bruises. You may have cracked a couple of ribs, but you've not broken them."
"Well, I don't exactly feel lucky," Rodney replied. "And just where is that rescue team Sheppard promised us? I'm sure half an hour must be up by now."
Carson glanced at his watch. He had lost track of time while working on Rodney, but the other man was correct. Almost an hour had passed since the others had left. The rescue team should have been there by now.
"Why don't I just go up to the top, there, and take a wee look," Carson said, getting to his feet. Rodney reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Don't leave me alone," he said, his voice shaky. "What if some wild creature comes and decides I look like lunch?"
"You'll just have to look as unappetizing as possible, then, won't you," Carson said soothingly. "I'll only be gone for a few minutes, and I'll not go out of eyesight." He patted Rodney's hand soothingly, and the scientist eased the grip he had on his friend's arm.
"If you see them," Rodney said, trying to hide the fact he was getting anxious. "Tell them to hurry up. I'm needed back on Atlantis, not stuck here in the middle of nowhere."
"Don't worry, Rodney," Carson replied, a note of irony in his voice. "I'm sure they're all missing you already."
"Thank you," Rodney replied, missing the irony completely.
Carson smiled to himself as he climbed up the cliff.
OoOoO
"What do you mean; you can't get a lock on the address?" Elizabeth asked more sharply than she meant too.
"I don't know," came the hesitant reply. "It worked perfectly when Colonel Sheppard and the others went through before, and also when Dr Beckett went through about an hour ago, but now I can't get a lock on it."
"Is the 'Gate still there?" Elizabeth asked, remembering what had happened to the Taranians' Stargate.
"As far as I can tell, it's just not responding. I've never seen anything like this before," was the reply.
Elizabeth looked round, forgetting for a moment that Rodney wasn't there. She had almost been expecting him to come up with some solution to the problem. But, of course, he was stuck on some strange planet with a broken leg. The only consolation was that Carson was there with him. Though Carson might not have agreed with that assessment.
"Dr Zelenka," she said into her commlink.
"Yes, Dr Weir," came the prompt reply.
"Please could you join me in the Gate Room?"
OoOoO
At that moment, Carson most certainly did not agree with Elizabeth's assessment. He wished he was anywhere but on a strange planet with Rodney. The climb up the cliff face had been more difficult than the journey down. It wasn't helped by Rodney's constant stream of advice from below.
"No," he said. "Move your foot to the left. No your right foot! That's it."
Carson took a deep breath and counted to ten. Climbing a cliff face and loosing your temper didn't go together very well.
"Now, move your hand to your right," came the voice from below. "And then pull yourself up."
Much to Carson's relief, the last instructions had actually helped, and he was able to scramble over the top of the cliff.
"See," Rodney said from below. "I told you, you could do it."
Carson muttered several curses under his breath, then breathed an apology to his mother for his language.
"Well, Carson, can you see anything?" Rodney's voice continued.
Carson looked over towards the Stargate. You could actually see it from where he was as the terrain between the cliff and the 'Gate was fairly flat. Unfortunately, there were no comforting figures approaching with the assistance they required.
"No," Carson called back down to Rodney. "I'm afraid I can't see anything. The radio appears to be dead too," he continued, looking down at the radio he was carrying in his belt.
"Why haven't they sent anyone to help us?" Rodney asked, sharply.
"I don't know, Rodney, I'm a doctor not a bloody psychic," Carson said more sharply than he intended.
"No need to get snarky," Rodney said, sounding slightly hurt.
"Sorry, lad," Carson said. "I just don't . . . . ."
What he was about to say was cut off as he turned toward Rodney and saw that between him and the cliff edge was a rather ferocious looking beast. It looked a bit like a goat, but Carson had never seen a goat with shark-like teeth and claws on its feet.
"Nice beastie," he said, trying to sound soothing.
"Carson?" Rodney's voice carried up from the bottom of the cliff face. "What were you saying?"
The animal turned its head towards Rodney's voice. Carson took the opportunity to move and started towards the cliff. He hoped if he could get over the edge, the creature might find it difficult to follow.
As he lunged towards the cliff, the creature's head snapped back towards him. It snarled, like a lion, and then lunged at Carson, its teeth almost shining in the sun. The cruel parody of a grin changed as it opened its powerful jaws, and then snapped them shut on Carson's arm. He let out a yell of protest and of pain, which startled the animal enough for it to let go of his arm.
Carson fell backwards towards the cliff, and as the creature started to follow him, he found himself falling over the edge, his body uncontrolled and moving faster than he would have chosen.
"Carson!" Rodney's voice, laced with panic, cried out.
Rodney watched in horror as his friend's body tumbled down the cliff, landing a few feet away from him. Carson lay on his back, his eyes closed, and blood pouring from his arm. Rodney looked up, and a beast out of his worst nightmares stared back at him, blood dripping from its fangs.
He turned back to his friend. "Carson?" he said, almost as a whimper.
