Author's Note: This one-shot was written in response to the Carson Beckett Challenge on Gateworld. The challenge this week was to write a story where Carson got whumped—whether accidentally or not—by one of his friends. It is set shortly before the Season One episode "Suspicion," and also contains mild spoilers for that episode and "Poisoning the Well." Enjoy! ~lg

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"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Proverbs 27:6

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Major John Sheppard stalked toward the infirmary with his jaw set and his mind made up. It was way past time the doc understood the score, and he intended to tell him. In detail. As kindly as possible. As firmly as possible. And come away alive.

He hoped, anyway. Carson Beckett was a formidable opponent when angered or denied his way. And that's what had gotten them into this entire situation in the first place. Oh the doc didn't push very often—only when a patient needed help—but he'd decided to push at the exact wrong moment.

In the infirmary, Sheppard ignored the nervous glances and walked toward the bed housing the injured Chief of Medicine. Carson lay on a bunch of pillows, his face almost as white as the sheets. His leg was propped up, though he'd be back up and about within a couple of days. It was the nasty blow to his head that resulted in his overnight stay. And in the pain obviously etched into his features. Still, he opened his eyes and smiled at his visitor. "Major. What can I do for ye?"

Sheppard wasn't fooled by the gentle voice or rich Scottish accent. "What were you thinking?"

Beckett blinked at him. Of all the things he'd expected, it wasn't this. "I'm sorry?"

"Back on that planet." Sheppard propped his hands on his hips and worked to keep his voice down. He took another step toward the doctor's hospital bed. "I told you to head for the gate. I ordered you to head for the gate."

Beckett glared. "I'm not. . . ."

". . .military, I know!" Sheppard finished the sentence. "You know, Doc, I'm getting really tired of hearing that excuse any time you don't want to do something. I thought you'd get the hint, especially when the Wraith showed up. I even pushed you forward, and you fought me off!"

"Someone was hurt!" Beckett straightened, his wince of pain not registering with Sheppard. "I couldnae leave them behind!"

"Yes, Doc, you could have!" Sheppard's voice was deceptively soft. "Now, I understand you're a doctor. I get the fact that you're not military, that you're also not a US citizen. But this isn't America!" He motioned around him. "This is a colony of Earth, and there are times you have to trust us—me—to make the right decision. Even if it means leaving people behind that we can't help."

"You don't know that!" Beckett said rather heatedly. "For the record, Major, you're the one who went back for Teyla and Colonel Sumner and our people!"

"Yeah, and I'm also the one who had to leave Sumner behind." Sheppard glared at the too-recent memory. "Even I didn't try to rescue someone who was beyond rescue."

"I'm not you, Major!"

"That's right. You're not! You're a doctor who has no combat training or any idea of what we face out there! You leave this infirmary when we tell you to, and you prefer to stay here!" Sheppard's anger started to get the best of him. He clenched a fist to keep his temper in check. "You need to learn a lot about how this galaxy works before you go trying to tell me how to run a military op. Because, no matter what you may like to think, this is a military op. The mission was military, the leader of the mission was military, and the situation called for a military solution. Having to go back for you because you got yourself injured by not following orders not only endangered you. It endangered the entire team." Sheppard saw his words make an impact on the normally tenderhearted physician. "Think about that next time."

Without another word, he stormed out of the infirmary and toward the sparring rooms. Maybe Teyla would be available to spar and help him ease some of this frustration. And, maybe then, he'd find the will to apologize to Beckett. For now, he wanted to let the situation linger so maybe the doctor would realize his error.

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Carson glared at Major Sheppard's back as the man strode out of the infirmary. Of all the inconsiderate, arrogant, demeaning things ta do! His thoughts continued in that vein for several moments after the major disappeared. Several rather colorful Scottish words punctuated his thoughts as he worked to quell the almost intolerable rage that blossomed within his chest.

Major Sheppard didn't know the half of what he was talking about. Carson had been very careful to avoid telling Sheppard exactly what had happened on that world, but he couldn't shut out the images for very long. Not after bruising his knee quite badly and winding up with the worst concussion he'd ever had.

Carson closed his eyes, trying to shut out the light of the infirmary that made him want to vomit, but he couldn't shut out the sounds. The panicked voice calling his name. The sight of a friend barely keeping ahead of the Wraith. The small child that fell. The shouts and screams around him, combining with the whine of Wraith darts. He wanted to forget everything that had happened, but the images kept playing through his head.

A rustle of cloth pulled him out of a light, tortured doze, and he blinked as Teyla moved tentatively to his bedside. She wore the leather top and flowing skirt that indicated she'd just come from a sparring session. Her hair, which typically fell around her face, still clung to her neck although she'd obviously cooled down. Carson eyed her bare feet and thought it absolutely fitting that she didn't wear shoes when moving between her quarters and the sparring rooms.

She met his eyes. "You did not tell Major Sheppard."

Carson knew exactly what she meant. "No." He shrugged, shoving down the residual anger at the major. "I dinnae see the reason for it."

Teyla touched his hand. "Carson, I am the reason you turned back."

"Aye, an' Major Sheppard's right. I dinnae listen ta orders." Carson met her eyes. "Don't worry, love. The major and I will work out our differences."

"Be that as it may, I cannot allow Major Sheppard to believe that you turned back to help someone you do not know." She shook her head. "I owe you my life, Carson. And I do not want to see Major Sheppard hesitate to bring you along on the next mission simply because of one incident."

Carson stared at her, not entirely sure how to respond. Teyla saved him the trouble and left his side. He assumed she was heading to see Major Sheppard and let out a deep breath. She was right. He'd turned back to help her.

Closing his eyes, he saw the scene again. They'd come to this world to help with an outbreak of influenza. Well, as close to influenza as one could get on an alien world. Carson had fussed about going through the Stargate and made a big deal out of it. Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford both found it highly amusing although Teyla struggled to understand. Halfway through their visit—and in the middle of Carson's explanation of the disease—the Wraith appeared. They swept the village, scooping as many of the panicked visitors into their darts as possible. As the team ran for the gate, Carson heard Teyla call for help. The darts had begun beaming Wraith drones into the village. Teyla was running behind Carson, carrying a child not more than three years old while two older children clung to her. She called out for help right as one of the children fell and smacked his head on a statue in the middle of the town square. Carson rushed back, ignoring Sheppard's hollered order to get to the gate, to assist Teyla with the children. He managed to get the fallen child onto his feet right as a Wraith stunner blast hit him in the chest. From what he'd been told, he fell directly onto the corner of the statue, bruising his knee and giving himself quite the concussion.

He supposed that, had he followed Sheppard's orders, that the injuries to his own body would have been avoided. But he also figured they would have lost Teyla. She managed to save those three children, and the Athosians had welcomed them with open arms. Now, he just needed to find a way to forgive Sheppard. He couldn't work on this base and hold a grudge.

Closing his eyes, he felt his own exhaustion and the concussion take over. Figuring he'd think through all of this later, he allowed his mind to wander and his body to fall into a restful sleep.

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Three weeks later. . . .

Carson favored his bruised knee as he rushed toward the gate. He'd been called off world again, even after that disastrous mission to Hoff, and his knee was telling him that he didn't need to be straining it much further. The Wraith had appeared again, this time in response to a betrayal in the village rather than Teyla's now-unused necklace. Apparently someone thought they could take over the ruling party by calling the Wraith down on their enemies, and they timed it just so that the Atlantis team was there.

Carson herded a young woman and her son out the front door of the house, pushing them down the street while telling them to stick to the shadows. The screams that came curdled his blood and made him want to weep. He could do nothing to save those people. But, if he could save just one. . . .

"Beckett!" Sheppard's voice came through his radio. "Get to the gate!"

Time seemed to stop. Carson halted in the doorway of the house, mentally going back in time three weeks to the night he'd been lying in that hospital bed while the major chastised him for his reckless behavior. He'd assimilated what Sheppard said and had worked to listen closer to orders and such like. But he had not been put in that same situation again. Until now. In that millisecond, he saw people rushing toward him, toward the supposed safety of the house, their faces masks of terror and panic. He heard their cries, sensed children seeking missing mothers and fathers. And he saw the Wraith bearing down on his position. Stunners appeared, and men, women, and children fell in a brutal fashion as they were dragged away to become some beast's meal.

"Beckett!" Teyla appeared in his face. "We must hurry!"

The spell broken, Carson followed her while his heart shattered. He suddenly understood Sheppard's position. He couldn't save them. But, by getting away, he could save others in the future. They gained valuable intel with every encounter with the Wraith, and that information could be used to assist some other world. This one might be lost, but they could save another if they saved themselves. Having that knowledge did not make it any easier to leave these people to their fate, but it calmed the grudge Carson still felt for Sheppard.

That night, Carson pulled the bottle of Scotch from his drawer, grabbed two glasses, and went in search of the major. He found Sheppard on a balcony alone and didn't say a word. He simply handed the glass to the other man and poured each one of them two fingers. Then, they stared at the stars for a time.

"Rough day." Sheppard finally broke the silence.

"Aye." Carson took a deep breath. "Major, for what it's worth. . . ."

"Don't mention it," Sheppard interrupted. "Teyla told me what happened."

"Aye, but I think I understand now." Carson shook his head. "I couldnae help Perna. And I couldnae help today. It's. . . ." He stopped speaking as his emotions took over.

Sheppard glanced at him and raised his glass. "To rough days."

Carson smiled and clinked his glass with the major's in a toast. "Aye. To rough days."

That night, as he crawled into bed, he let out a deep breath. His mum used to say something that he'd never understood until now. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. She'd usually meant to tell him that she was right and that he would appreciate it later. Now, he thought of the phrase and knew what it meant. A friend might say things that were hurtful or even not deserved. But a true friend—the kind of friend Major Sheppard meant to be—usually had one's best interest at heart.

Exhausted from a long, heartbreaking day, Carson Beckett drifted to sleep, thankful for the friends he'd made since coming to the Pegasus galaxy.