Takes place during/shortly after "Space", episode 11.

(LINE BREAK)

Rush allowed Chloe to drop down from the alien ship first, hoping that whomever would be down there would be less likely to shoot her than him. Once he saw she was out of the way, Rush dropped through the hole as well, his legs buckling underneath him when he landed. He landed hard against the ship's bulkheads, knocking the breath out of him.

Greer stood, gun out, eyes wide, pointing the pistol directly at Rush, "Colonel Young said you were dead."

"Did he now?" Rush wheezed, "Did he happen to mention how?"

"Rockslide," Greer's face was taught with suspicion.

Rush pressed a hand to his forehead, "Well, obviously he was wrong again."

Greer lowered the gun, but still held in in his grip. He pressed the call button on the radio, "Colonel Young, get down here. You are not going to believe this. Bring TJ"

Rush stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily against the bulkhead, pushing his still wet bangs away from his face, "Don't suppose I could go find some clothes? I'm soaking wet and bloody freezing."

"You're not going anywhere until TJ checks you out, both of you," Greer shot a look to Scott who was still embracing Chloe like she was a lifeline.

"Course not," Rush rolled his eyes, "Cannae expect you t'- Shit! Shite! Sonofa-" Rush pressed a hand to his nose, looked at it, and growled again.

"What's wrong?"

"Fuckin' nosebleed," Rush grunted, sitting back down and leaning forward, "Fuckin' hell. Damn things always fuckin' happen when I donnae need 'em-" Blood suddenly dripped from between his fingers, down to the floor.

"Jesus, Rush." Greer said, "Is this healthy?"

"Prob'ly not," Rush mumbled, "Don' really care at this point."

"Rush!?" TJ exclaimed, coming to a halt and kneeling beside Rush, pushing a bedpan into his hands, "You're alive?"

"Apparently," Rush muttered, "Thanks to Colonel Young. He traded places with an alien?"

"Yeah. With the stones. Why couldn't he connect back?"

"Had to kill it," Rush admitted slowly, avoiding eye contact with anyone, "It-It attacked me."

"Of course. Is this one of your usual nosebleeds, or?"

"Didnae get hit in the face, if that's what you're asking. Not many people aim for my nose."

TJ smirked, "I guess not. Can you stand? I have to look at you and Chloe-"

"Rush!" Colonel Young appeared, striding over quickly, his heavy footfalls echoing in the corridor.

"Colonel," Rush replied curtly, his eyes narrowing a little, "Good to know it wasn't you that attacked me."

Young nodded, "Yeah. About the planet-"

"Don't worry. You couldn't have known I was alive through the rock slide."

Young looked surprised, but nodded, "Yes...I still regret leaving you."

Rush touched his upper lip with shaking fingers, "The bleeding has stopped. That was short."

"Yeah, a lot shorter than your last one. C'mon. I'm taking you both to the infirmary. Greer, do you mind going to Rush's quarters and getting his clothes? Scott, could you get Chloe's?"

"Yes, ma'am," Greer responded softly. Scott nodded, embracing Chloe once more before he left.

"Can you stand?"

"Hopefully," Rush grunted, setting the bedpan down. Using the bulkhead, he leveraged himself to his feet, wincing as he did so.

"You alright?"

"Nothin' to worry about. I'm fine."

"You would be dead for three months and still insist you're fine," TJ asserted.

Rush let out a strangled half giggle, "That's true. Now, let's go."

TJ shared a look with Young, whose eyes were dark with something TJ wasn't sure she was reading right. She lead the way to the infirmary, noting that while Chloe seemed fine, Rush was...off. Other than the blood coating the lower half of his face, he looked alright, but his behaviour was strange.

"Go sit down over there, Chloe. I'm going to examine Rush first."

Chloe nodded, moving to sit on one of the alien beds, perching on the edge uncomfortably. TJ wheeled over her tray of instruments, and smiled warmly at Rush.

"So, you're alive."

"Tha's a surprise, innit?" Rush asked holding out his arm as TJ examined the skin-tight material that made up his outfit. His accent had thickened once more, and TJ wondered if the man was as alright as he claimed.

"Yes it is. A welcome one. The scientists have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off the entire time you've been...gone."

Rush let out a snort of amusement, "Why am I not surprised? Bloody morons."

"Do you remember what happened?" TJ asked, "what the aliens did?"

Rush hesitated, his eyes flicking to Chloe before they rested on TJ again, "I-I was dying when they found me. I didn't have any water or food. I'd managed to turn on some systems on the wreck. I'd hoped...someone could see, find me. Or that I could get it goin' and return here. I must have activated a signal of some sort..." Rush trailed off, but brought a still shaking hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut, "I-I remember them...probing my head. They wanted information, wanted to know about us, about Destiny-" Rush cut himself off, "I don't remember much."

That was clearly a lie, but TJ let it slide. She would ask Rush again later, no point in trying to force it out of him yet.

Just then, Scott and Greer came back with clothes. Rush took them gratefully, as did Chloe.

"Don't suppose I can change before we really get started?" Rush asked hopefully, "I'm still freezing."

"Me too?" Chloe added hopefully.

"Of course." TJ pointed behind to a small closet, "Chloe, you change there. Be careful not to touch anyrhing. Rush, you can change in the lab there."

Rush nodded, hopping down off the table, and swaying for a moment before he regained his balance. He took the clothes, and disappeared, returning a few minutes later, shaking, but dressed in his more familiar clothes.

TJ smiled, "Ready? I'm going to have to take your vitals-"

"Jus' get on with it," Rush replied, holding out his arm once more, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, "I-I think a migraine is on it's way. Don' wanna be here."

"How do you know?" TJ asked, strapping the cuff to his arm and beginning to pressurize it.

"Eyesight is beginning to fade in and out," Rush admitted slowly, "Left eye. I'm really havin' t' concentrate on language righ' now."

TJ nodded, beginning to move quicker, "Alright. I'll do my best. If it gets worse, do you want me to move you to your room?"

"No. Movement makes it infinitely worse," Rush squeezed his eyes shut, grimacing.

"Do you know what triggered it?"

"Stress? Malnutrition? Dehydration? Getting fuckin' abducted by aliens?" Rush returned acerbically.

TJ bit her lip, but continued on, "Anything I need to know about the migraine?"

"You'll need a bucket, or bedpan. I-I don't remember eatin', but even if they gave me liquids I'm liable to puke it up. Don't move me, keep me in the dark, even if you have to tie a rag around my eyes to do it. Keep it quiet. High pitched sounds are...excruciating."

"From how I saw you last time, I'm going to have to get Greer to get a cot in here; like one of the ones in the quarters, but smaller. These beds are too small for you to curl up."

Rush nodded weakly, "Yeah."

TJ finished her examination, "Well-"

Rush's face pinched, drained of all colour, and he pressed both hands forcefully onto his forehead, a small sound of excruciating pain escaping him. TJ sighed, gently forced the man into a reclined position, and motioned for Chloe to stay where she was.

TJ moved into the corridor, and activated her radio, "Greer, I need you to bring a cot from one of the smaller rooms to the infirmary. Be quick, and be quiet when you get here."

"Yes, ma'am."

When TJ returned into the room, Chloe was staring at Rush with a look of horror clearly written across her features, "Is he okay?" she whispered.

"No. Migraine headache. He suffers from them periodically," TJ cast a glance to Rush, who was as curled up as he was going to get on the hard, unyielding bed, his arms thrown protectively over his eyes and head.

A few minutes later, Greer and Scott appeared, carrying a cot in between them. TJ directed them to a corner of the room that wasn't occupied by equipment. The sharp, metallic, squeak that was produced set TJ's teeth on edge. Rush let out a pathetic whimper, his already tense muscles becoming more so, shaking slightly.

"Can you help me get him to the cot? We'll have to go slow, and gentle. His migraines are extremely intense."

Greer nodded, and waited as TJ informed Rush as to what they were doing. Rush nodded, licking his lips, "ok."

"I've got your feet, Greer has your shoulders. Try not to move."

Rush set his arms across his chest, clenching his shirt to keep his arms from moving. As promised, the move was slow, but Rush was still in complete agony by the time they were done. TJ tucked a blanket around Rush's thin frame, and put a bucket on the floor close by. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

TJ checked Chloe out as best as was possible, noting only Chloe was shaken and nervous. Both understandable. TJ sent Chloe back with Scott, who had stayed to hear the prognosis of alien abduction.

Which only left Rush and TJ, and Rush didn't seem to be conscious anymore. His breathing had evened out, and he appeared to be more relaxed. TJ hoped that the migraine was only stress induced, or something similar. She really didn't want to explain to Young that something had happened to disable their only (seemingly) capable scientist.

(LINE BREAK)

Colonel Young had decided to wait two days before contacting Earth, to see if Rush was capable of making a report on his own. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Rush hadn't gotten any better, and TJ was honestly worried she was going to lose him.

Young had also hoped, that when he used the communication stones, that he would have switched bodies with anyone but Telford. Wrong again, for when he looked into the computer monitor, he saw Telford's face stare back.

His heart sank to his feet, but he was here, he had to report, and Telford would learn what happened sooner or later anyway. Young tried to push the niggling feeling in the back of his head that this was going to end in disaster, and got himself ready for the day.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, TJ was trying to coax some water into Rush, his dry skin and cracked lips pointing out that he was dehydrated. While he wasn't getting any worse, now that he was hooked up to an IV of saline solution, mixed with vitamins and other nutrients, that didn't mean he shouldn't drink anything. Rush carefully swallowed a few mouthfuls, his brown eyes shut against the glare of the lights.

"How are you feeling?"

A small, hoarse whimper. Rush shook his head once, slowly.

TJ brushed his hair away from his face, "It's okay. Your tea should be done soon. Hopefully those herbs will either help with the pain or knock you out for a while."

Rush nodded, a shuddering sigh escaping him as he tensed again, clearly riding out a sudden spike in the pain levels.

TJ watched helplessly as Rush struggled, unable to do anything more than drape a warm compress over his eyes. TJ checked her watch, and found that enough time had elapsed for the tea to be ready. She put a straw in the warm liquid, and brought it over.

"Tea's done."

Rush pried one eye open, his left one, "vision...still gone."

TJ pressed the straw to his lips, "Drink, hopefully, when you wake up, you'll feel better."

Rush drank the majority of the tea, then gently shifted himself onto a position on his back, keeping his head tilted to one side. TJ watched as Rush slowly began to relax, fingers unclenching, and muscles relaxing fully for the first time in days.

Clearly, Rush was asleep. TJ sighed in relief, checking Rush's IV. She had hoped he wouldn't need it, but time had proven he did. Rush couldn't move, and as the pain radiated down to his neck and jaw, he had a hard time chewing and swallowing.

TJ moved away from Rush, and resumed taking inventory. She had promised Young a report three hours ago, but Rush had woken up, and had needed her-

"Lieutenant!"

TJ jumped, turning to the door, wondering why Young was yelling, he knew Rush's situation-

Looking at Young, TJ realized she wasn't talking to the Colonel. Not Young, but Telford. TJ mentally kicked herself: Young was off to Earth to make a report on the goings on of the ship, to tell them Rush and Chloe were safe. Of course it had to be Telford.

"Colonel, please-" TJ said softly, moving to block his entry.

"Where is he!?" Telford demanded.

TJ pressed her lips together disapprovingly, "He's currently suffering from an intense migraine-"

"A headache? That's it?"

"Migraines are extremely painful, sir. Please, I've just gotten him to fall asleep for the first time in days-"

"I have to talk to him-"

"With all due respect, sir, that can wait," TJ had to try very hard to keep her voice steady and quiet, "Rush will be back to his normal self soon enough, and with all he's been through, he deserves the same amount of respect you'd give anyone else!"

Telford glared down at TJ, and she had to remind herself that it was actually Telford and not Young. She would remain firm in this, because at the end of the day, Telford had no real power over her. His demands and orders were often disbanded the moment Young came back.

Telford grit his teeth, then nodded sharpy, "Fine. I expect to meet with you later," with that, he spun on his heel and left.

TJ sighed in relief, checking over her shoulder to find Rush hadn't stirred at all. TJ took a steadying breath, and began to take inventory, occasionally checking on Rush as she did so.

(LINE BREAK)

TJ made Rush drink more of the strong herbs that knocked him unconscious the first time. After that things became more...muddled than before, if that was even possible. He didn't know what day it was, didn't know how long this migraine had knocked him on his ass. Sometimes he couldn't even remember his own name.

Now though, he'd woken up, feeling utterly drained. Rush's vision had returned, and his head, neck, jaw, and shoulders were at a pain level that was normal to him. If he moved, his vision swam and his eyes throbbed, but Rush could think now.

TJ was nowhere to be seen or heard, but that really didn't bother Rush right now. He was beyond exhausted, even after being in bed for the last however long. The only problem was that his mouth was as dry as the Sahara, and even though he knew the IV hooked into his arm was supplying him with liquids, it didn't mean his mouth and throat didn't appreciate water.

Rush sighed, running a hand through his greasy, tangled hair, wincing at the feeling. Steeling himself, Rush slowly sat up, propping himself up with his arms, the limbs shaking with effort. He sat straight, leaning against the wall. His head spun, but he kept himself upright, riding the discomfort out.

Once Rush's head had settled, he pushed himself to his feet, dragging, and leaning on, the makeshift IV pole with him to the sink. Finding an empty, and clean, mug, Rush filled it up with water from the sink, downed it, then filled it up again.

Rush was holding himself up with nothing but his own willpower and fading physical strength. He filled the mug once more, then brought the mug back to his bed, his knees creaking when he sat back down.

Rush's head didn't protest the movement this time, which he was thankful for. Now he was awake, and thinking, his head would soon return to normal, even if the rest of his body wouldn't for a few days. He sipped his third mug of water, looking around the dimly lit infirmary, trying to see what had changed beyond the addition of his cot.

The lights were lit so dimly it was hard to see anything, especially without his glasses. Something he was admittedly grateful for, as he would suffer from photophobia for a while after this migraine. Something he'd dealt with before, and would work through as he'd always had.

Once Rush had drained the mug, he pulled himself to his feet once more, hunched over and squinting without his glasses, leaning on the IV pole. Exiting the infirmary, he slowly made his way to the mess hall. He was hungry, and he'd be damned if he waited for TJ to finally come back.

Becker was there, and looked just as surprised as the few other people in the room. He gave Rush a heaping bowl of the protein goop, some fruit they'd found, and some water, watching carefully as Rush sat down with a huff.

After some deliberation, Rush chose to go for the fruit first, as he assumed they'd picked it up on a planet while he was out. It was odd, between an apple and celery in terms of taste, but it was refreshing and didn't taste like shite.

Rush took a spoonful of the goop, half expecting some horrible new flavour that Becker had concocted. What he got instead was banana, so unexpected that Rush almost choked on it. He ate as quickly as he dared, not entirely trusting his tastebuds to accurately relay information to his brain.

Once he was finished, Rush dumped the dirty dishes, and went into his quarters, finding his radio. He turned it on, "Rush to Johansen."

Static crackled, "Rush! Where are you!? I need to disconnect you from the IV."

"In my quarters," Rush replied, "Didn't want to ruin the equipment by trying to take it out myself."

A pause, "On my way. Stay there."

Rush turned the radio off, and lay back on his bed. It was stupid, even more so once you considered how many aches and pains the hard mattress yielded, but he'd missed his bed. Even when he was puking up everything he'd ever eaten down in the infirmary, he'd missed his space.

Short minutes passed, and TJ came in, looking annoyed and relieved all at the same time. It was an odd expression, but Rush took comfort in the fact he could still elicit a response from her, even if the emotions could only really be found in her eyes and mouth.

"So, went for a walk?"

"Got some water, and some food," Rush corrected, sitting up, and holding out his tethered arm, "Ate all of it."

"See you still like dim lights."

Rush half-shrugged, "Photophobia. Happens with the big ones."

TJ nodded, "Especially how sensitive you are with light. The best I can tell you now is to keep eating and get lots of sleep. I'd tell you to take it easy, but you're not going to, so I'm not going to waste my breath."

Rush smirked, as TJ disconnected him, pressing a band-aid to where the needle had been. He twisted his head to each side, trying to stretch out the tense muscles in his neck, "How long was I out?"

"Four days," TJ replied, "almost five."

Rush let out a groan, "Of course, when there's so much t' do-"

"Do you remember anything?" TJ asked suddenly, "Of the last few days?"

"I remember you dropping that bedpan and swearing at it for a few minutes," a small smile tugged at the corners of Rush's mouth.

TJ offered a tentative smile, "Sorry about that. Anything else?"

"Colonel Young," Rush's brows furrowed for a moment, "yelling? At me? I don't remember."

"Not the Colonel. It was Telford."

Rush snorted, "Of course. Why am I not surprised?"

TJ snorted, "You and I both know the answer. Anyway, I should get back to work, and I'm sure there's some scientists you need to yell at."

Rush nodded, "Yes. God knows they've probably been running around with no idea about what to do."

"Don't be stupid," TJ warned, "You know where I'll be."

"Yeah," Rush replied, running a hand through his hair.

TJ offered a smile, then left Rush's room.

Rush sighed, put on his glasses, and made his way to the core control room.

(LINE BREAK)

Eli was more relieved than he cared to admit to see Rush up and moving, even if the other man didn't seem to have full control of his body yet, even though Rush had lost more weight, and even though Rush glared up at anyone who made the panels light up with bright lights or loud noises.

Eli wouldn't admit that he was relieved the scientists now had a purpose in their poking around of Destiny's systems.

So, it came as a shock when Rush stopped mid-motion, his eyes going wide and face draining of all colour. His brows furrowed, his head tilted, and he muttered, "We're going to drop out of FTL."

Just as the sentence cleared Rush's mouth, the ship dropped from FTL, and Rush clutched at his temples, an odd, pained noise escaping him. A few seconds passed, then Rush straightened up, squinting through the dimmed lights.

"What the hell was that?" Brody demanded, his eyes wide.

"I-I don't know," Rush muttered, "The pressure in the ship...changed, just seconds before. How did I not notice before?"

"Maybe it's because your head is still tender," Park offered.

"Yeah!" Eli jumped on the hope Rush was alright, "We haven't dropped out of FTL right after one of your migraines before."

Rush nodded slowly, "Tha's true," Rush rubbed his forehead, then shook his head, "Get one of your kinos, Eli. Lets get a look at where Destiny wants us to go."

Eli nodded, and left the control room. Rush followed shortly after, though instead of heading directly to the gate room, he took a more roundabout way. Once Rush was alone, he pinched the bridge of his nose, and concentrated hard on the sounds and sensations of the Destiny.

The ship just felt different, and Rush couldn't begin to put that difference into words. Rush steeled himself for the lights of the gate room. In the ensuing hours of activity, Rush completely forgot about the incident.