Sam's face came into view with tears in her eyes. "I'm Sorry Rodney, this is the only way", then she brought her hand up into view and he saw the Goa-uld hand device strapped to her hand. The heart stone glowed red and pain erupted in his head as he struggled against straps holding him in place and then it went dark.
Rodney woke up wrapped in the blankets. Why did he dream something like that? If he was going to have Sam in his dreams it could at least be nice. He trusted Sam, why would he dream she'd hurt him like that? Very weird dream, what did I eat before I went to bed last night?
He got up and showered and dressed. His head continued to feel heavy so he popped some pills before he picked up his laptop and left his quarters for his morning briefing. He was disturbed by the dream still. Something kept nagging at him but it always seemed just out of reach and this headache wasn't helping matters.
He got into the briefing room and found a coffee waiting for him. Sheppard had learnt a long time ago that the meetings went a little bit smoother when Rodney had nice expensive coffee to drink. Rodney took his cup, with a nod to Sheppard, and then sat down at the table. Rodney and Sheppard talked amongst themselves until Sam entered and then they got down to the meeting.
Sheppard informed Sam of troop rotations, defensive suggestions, etc and Rodney listed the primary experiments they were working on. They discussed team's abilities and personnel and potential planets for future investigation. The usual things so that all the heads were all aware of the things going on in Atlantis.
Finally, Sam instructed Sheppard that his team would be going to 'The Nursery' as Rodney had christened the planet. A world run by children, thanks to an inhibitor introduced into their genes generations ago. Rodney wondered how many other planets mistakenly thought the wraith would not feed on children. Owww, danm it! He thought as his headache spiked. Maybe I'm having an anurisym. Dr Keller was able to cancel the inhibitor and now the kids would grow up as normal.
"What! Why do we have to go? I've already spent a week there and that's seven days too long!" Rodney shouted and if he was honest, even he was surprised by the amount of venom in his statement.
Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "I thought Maddy had taught you the virtues of children, Rodney," Sheppard mocked. It really was amazing how quick teasing Rodney cheered him up.
"Maddy is the exception. Maddy is a McKay" Rodney stated factually.
"Actually, she's a Miller." Sheppard pointed out with a grin
"Mentally she's a McKay and mental prowess is always superior."
"Oh, is that so," Sheppard said, looking as if he was trying his utmost not to break into laughter.
"I think the tally speaks for itself, Colonel," Rodney said smugly. Sheppard's smile dropped instantly as he glowered at Rodney.
"Tally?" Sam enquired. Sheppard and Rodney shocked as they suddenly remembered she was in the room and then immediately they looked sheepish and guilty.
"Erm, so I'm not going to the nursery and that's that," Rodney said, crossing his arms. I can't lie to save my life so I may as well just ignore the question.
"Tally?" Sam enquired. "And gentleman, just so you don't make any mistakes, you really don't want to know how I intend to proceed if I have to ask that for a third time."
Rodney gulped. Sheppard started. "We've, erm, been keeping a tally on who's saved the other, Ma'am," and then shrugged apologetically.
"And Rodney's winning??" Sam asked incredulously. Rodney nodded smugly.
"Only by one point," Sheppard said, looking hard at Rodney, "which is under some dispute."
Rodney scowled. "I took the wraith drug, I wish to point out at great personal risk, and escaped back here to tell Wier where you were," he stated.
"Yes Rodney," said Sheppard patiently, "but when you got back here you were incoherent and incapable of voicing your supposed daring and ingenious rescue plan and I had to rescue myself."
"You were just early," Rodney said, "If you'd been a bit more patient you would have been rescued and I would also like to point out that yes, actually, it was daring and ingenious."
"I was on a hive ship, Rodney," Sheppard said incredulously striving to get Rodney to understand, not for the first time. "Not the most appealing waiting room and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have got tea and a slice of cake while we waited, although there is a good chance they may have asked us to stay for dinner."
"Gentlemen," Sam said severely, shaking her head. She looked from one to the other until they both looked sheepish. "I suggest you go and pack and inform the rest of your team."
"What, but why do I have to go," Rodney whined.
"What's the problem Rodney?" Sam asked, obviously puzzled.
"He doesn't like kids," Sheppard said smugly, grinning form ear to ear.
"What? But….." Sam trailed off as the initial shocked expression faded from her face. "Why don't you like children, Rodney?" Sam said softly. Sheppard was looking at Sam, frowning slightly and her soft voice was making Rodney feel uncomfortable too.
"Well," Rodney shifted, "I don't know; they just make me feel uncomfortable, give me a headache too," he said pointing to his head McKay style with a grin, which he dropped when he realised that Sheppard had started grinning again. Rodney figured Sheppard had just figured out how to make Rodney's day hell on earth, or rather hell on an alien planet.
Sam looked sad, but seemed to be thinking things through. Rodney was beginning to think he was going to get out of it. Then Sam looked up at Rodney. "You should go, you are going Rodney. Sheppard come and see me before you go" and then she rose and left the room.
Okay, that can't be good, thought Rodney, why didn't she just say what she had to say here before he left, hope she's not going to order him to make me hug a child an hour or something. He was getting paranoid. Okay weird meeting for the last minute or two but nothing new, everyone always tried to make him get on with kids. He was letting the dream affect him. It was only a dream damn it.
He rose from the table and checked with Sheppard when to meet him and then went to the lab to inform Radek he was off world today and to highlight the main points of the briefing. Then he went to change for off world and then swung by the infirmary to discuss his headache with Dr Keller.
He half hoped that it would be something that would stop him going off world but Dr Keller came up empty. "Just a migraine" she said with practiced patience. He insisted on a scan which she did but again but nothing was found. She pointed out that migraines can last three days and therefore four days was not that unusual and maybe he should consider leaving the labs at a normal time and getting at least one full night of sleep and also avoid working with the laptop as his work was naturally inductive to headaches. He left the infirmary after leaving Keller with some McKay comments to think over.
He hated going to the infirmary, even now it felt like a betrayal to Carson, but he always felt better if he evened it out by leaving it with a tense atmosphere.
