Author: KatGrl2003
Disclaimer: I don't own Atlantis or any of the characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fics for free.
Summary: Rodney goes through withdrawal.
Withdrawal. According to Carson, the medical definition is the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting drug. It's a horrible word. It's even worse when used to describe his favorite scientist.
Nobody thought the detox would end up like this. The first day, Rodney was crankier than normal, but nothing serious. A few more scientists than normal ran when he came near, but nothing life threatening. The second day, the shaking started. Zelenka noticed his hand trembling when he was working on a computer. It was their first sign that this was going to be rougher than anybody had thought. The third day was when the symptoms really started to manifest. Depression kicked in. He seemed to want to sleep forever, and didn't want to see anybody. People were getting worried.
Carson put him under sedation on the fourth day, hoping to get Rodney through the worst of the symptoms. He still had the shakes, sweats, and obvious nightmares, but luckily he wasn't lucid enough to feel the pain of the withdrawal. They had spared him that agony.
Now, three days after being sedated in the infirmary, Carson was preparing to have Rodney come back to the real world. Dr. Weir and the rest of AT-1 stood with baited breath around his bed.
As his eyes slowly started to open, Rodney saw Dr. Beckett, Elizabeth, and the rest of his team standing around him. Carson was checking his vitals, while everyone else was waiting to see the whether he had come through the detox ok. He looked down at his body. Everything seemed to still be attached, he wasn't in pain, and actually felt better than he had before the whole mess had started. He looked up at Sheppard as he started to speak.
"10 fingers, 10 toes. I'll let you check the rest, Rodney."
"Very funny. If it's over now, can I go? I've got work to do." He started to get out of the infirmary bed.
Carson pushed him back down. "Not just yet. You've been unconscious for the past three days. I'd like to keep you here another day for observation."
"But Carson!"
"My infirmary, my rules. Now," he said, looking at the others, "If you all wouldn't mind, Rodney needs his sleep. Out you go!"
Just before leaving, Sheppard turned back with a grin towards Rodney. "Now, it wasn't that bad, was it? We told you your coffee addiction could be beaten." He then turned and left the infirmary, listening to Rodney's angry retorts all the way down the hall.