I apologise up front for how crappy this chapter might be and for how long it took to get it uploaded. My beloved dog passed away on Tuesday, and I couldn't face writing, nor much of anything else. But I finally sat down today and wrote this, though it might be a bit overly maudlin. Forgive me if it is, it's just the way I'm feeling. :)

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Chapter 49

Ronon stood by as Rodney shuffled to the edge of the bed. He feigned ignorance every time Rodney made a pained grunt or screwed his face up, knowing that the man already felt embarrassed enough at his situation. He thought Rodney's embarrassment was unecessary, it wasn't as if he was moaning about nothing. The man tried everything to keep the pain from his face, continually tried not to show how it hurt him to move, even at times breathe. But Ronon could see it, even though Rodney's valiant attempt to hide his pain was remarkable in and of itself.

"You don't have to help me," Rodney grumbled as he stood up from the bed.

Ronon rolled his eyes. "I want to," he replied gruffly.

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't allowed on the mission after I promised you I'd get Sheppard home. So I'm promising to get you to Ignothia."

"Then, I assume you're coming too?"

"Can't keep the promise otherwise."

He fully intended to keep this promise, even if it meant Carson would follow through on his threat to impose an excessive downtime on him afterwards. Though the Doc had been quite right not to allow him to go on John's rescue mission with Lorne and his team, Ronon still felt angry about it. He didn't like making promises he couldn't keep, especially as important as the one he'd made Rodney.

Ronon had been ready and willing to go and rescue John, even though he still suffered under the effects of infection and his injuries. He'd stood waiting with Teyla to join Lorne's team when Carson turned up and handed him pills, and Ronon had tried to look well and ready to go on the mission. The Doc had walked away to return to Monuth, but just as Lorne said it was time to go and made his way to the Jumper, Carson had turned on his heel and sauntered back with a hardened expression. Then he'd told Ronon in no uncertain terms what he would do if he even thought about stepping on the Jumper with Lorne and his team. So Ronon watched the Jumper take off, frustrated that he couldn't keep his promise to Rodney. He was furious with Carson to the point that even Teyla struggled to calm him down.

Carson had no say on the mission to get Ignothian water for Rodney, as the Doc was oblivious to the plan. Ronon had grinned when he thought of Carson hearing about himself and John heading off on such a dangerous trip and him having a hissy fit over it. But, once they got back and Rodney was in the pod, Ronon collapsed in the chair of his bay, exhausted and sore. He'd been livid that Carson was proved right and the smug look the Doc had given him when he found him in the chair was enough to make Ronon groan with annoyance. But he felt much better now. The medicine was finally doing what it was meant to do, and Ronon felt fit enough to accompany Rodney to Ignothia, to ensure his friend's return to health.

He raised his good arm mid air as Rodney stepped from the bedside towards the waiting wheelchair, ready in case he fell. Rodney glared indignantly at the wavering hand as he took another step.

"I can do it myself," he muttered, reaching for the wheelchair.

Then a pain seemed to shoot through him as he gasped then stumbled forward, holding his side, his legs giving way beneath him. With lightning reflexes, Ronon reached out and caught him one-handed mere inches before he hit the deck, hauled him upright then helped him into the wheelchair.

"Sure you can," Ronon said as he grabbed a blanket from the bed and placed it over Rodney's shoulders.

"I'm not an old woman," he replied angrily, pulling at the blanket.

"It's freezing out, you'll thank me for it."

Ronon hid his smile as he walked behind the wheelchair, took off the brakes and started pushing it out the bay. It took him a moment to maneuver the chair out of the bay as his arm was still strapped up, but once on the straight he managed fine with one hand. Rodney was quiet as they made their way through the hospital corridors. Ronon knew it was because he hated wheelchairs, having watched him sit in one for two years following a Jumper crash that crushed his legs. While at the time Rodney had been unable to speak, he was more than able to convey his loathing of the wheelchair despite the mutism. The experience of having to depend on the wheeled contraption to get around left a bitterness in Rodney, and while he conceded that wheelchairs were undoubtedly useful and sometimes necessary, he avoided them at all costs. He was sure that being in one again reminded Rodney of that time, so he did his best not to aggravate the man further.

The silence between them allowed Ronon time to reflect on how he found himself pushing Rodney McKay through a hospital, while feeling glad to do it. For a long time, the only thing Ronon knew was fear. As a Runner he was in constant fear for his life, jumping from one planet to another in a bid to hide and survive the Wraith that hunted him. That fear drove him to think only of himself to survive and the once altruistic Satedan became a selfish and uncaring man, with no one to love or to love him in return. For years he lived only to survive, finding little joy in his every day existence. Until the day he met the Atlanteans.

He'd fled a Wraith hunting party to another planet, knowing they would quickly follow him. He would have just enough time to grab some fruit from the trees then dial back out, only he'd run into John and Teyla. The fear ran so strongly through him that it caused him to be suspicious of everyone and everything. That he ran into the two people with strange clothes and weapons seemed too much of a coincidence and so he stunned them, thinking they might be in league with the Wraith. He'd wanted to return to the gate and get out of there, but something about the two made him stay, and he was thankful that he did. Because of that fateful day he gained a family, more friends than he could count and allies in the war against the Wraith. The team were his family, as was the currently cantankerous man in the wheelchair.

In the beginning, Ronon didn't really like Rodney. The man complained constantly. He was always ill, always hungry and always irritating. He would say one thing then do another. He was offensive, belittling, had an obnoxious superiority complex and Ronon saw little value in him. But then he came to understand Rodney, and why he was the way he was.

During a mission with an extensive travel time, he'd told Ronon about his sad and lonely childhood. Socially awkward and bullied by other children, he spent most of his youth reading books to stay out of the way of other kids. He was teased and bullied because of his shyness and intelligence and spent most of his school days alone. Rodney's teenage years had not been fun, either. He'd often been the butt of everyone's joke and too oblivious to the cruel teasing to realise it until long after the interaction. The bullying and teasing had followed him even into adulthood, and Rodney grew tired of always putting on a brave face and a fake smile. What little social interactions he enjoyed were mostly with his sister, but they had become estranged as they grew older.

From this information Ronon came to understand that Rodney had constructed a protective shield to hide behind, to fend people off, and a way to protect himself from the scorn of others. The way he spoke to people, they way he acted, and the things that he did were all part of the shield, a coping mechanism that made him unapproachable, unlikeable, therefore best left alone. But as time passed, Ronon got to see Rodney without his shield. He saw Rodney's great intelligence and ingenuity, and found them astonishing, not something to tease him over. Rodney had a dry and quirky sense of humor, and he was quite fun to be around when he wasn't in a snarky mood. Rodney didn't love easily, always scared to put his feelings out there in case they were crushed as they had been in the past. So when he did love, he did so fiercely. Ronon discovered this when Rodney healed him of his spinal scars after spending time in the ascension machine. If that wasn't love, then Ronon didn't know what was. Rodney wasn't a cold and distant know-it-all, but a man of integrity and confidence, dependable, resilient, loyal, and Ronon regarded and loved him as a brother. This was why he was happy to wheel him through the hospital, why he had spent hours by his bedside, and why he would spend hours again waiting for him to heal on Ignothia.

"You were right," Rodney said as they rounded the corner into the main foyer. "It is freezing." He pulled the blanket tighter around himself and said, "Thanks."

Ronon grinned, wondering how difficult it had been for Rodney to say the word. "Don't mention it. It'll be warmer in the Jumper."

"Where's John?"

"With Kerria. They're riding with us to Ignothia."

Rodney was quiet for a time, then said, "John doesn't think I know, but, he really loved her, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"If she doesn't make it, he'll need us."

"He'll still need us if she does."

"Why?"

"Because, he was coming to say goodbye, regardless."

Rodney thought about this as Ronon pushed the wheelchair outside into the cold day. "I guess there was no way for it to work out, her being the next village leader and John in Atlantis."

"I guess."

Up ahead, John stepped out from the rear of the Jumper. "You guess what?" he said.

"That you won't be piloting this thing," Ronon covered quickly.

"You guess right, Stackhouse is flying us," John approached them then took control of the wheelchair, two hands better than one to get it up the ramp. "Get your asses in gear, we're running late."

John helped Rodney into a seat, then folded the wheelchair and sat it by the closing hatchway. Ronon sat next to Rodney and cast an eye over Kerria whose trolley bed took up the centre aisle. She was pale and thin, but she was breathing on her own, which Ronon knew she'd been unable to do before. Carson's little remedy had given her a fighting chance, as it had Rodney. Ronon hoped she recovered on Ignothia, for John's sake, as it seemed important to him to have this final interaction.

"Have the Goh decided what to do with the Groten ships?" Rodney asked as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"They're not going for it," John replied. "They think controlling the Groten it's unethical."

"Hmmm. So they are willing to what? Keep on being used as a weapon?"

"No, Carson might have come up with an alternative."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"He thinks that they could modify biosuits to hold Goh who would then tend to the ships."

Rodney stared at him increaduously. "Biosuits?"

"The details need ironing out but, yeah, biosuits."

"And how are they meant to control the suits? And how will they know how to fly the ships?"

"Like I say, the finer details have yet to be discussed. But I know the lead Groten is in Central, in the Chair," John frowned.

Even Ronon grimaced at this. The Caronaans used a machine to rip information from the minds they interrogated. He'd seen it used, and what it did to a person strapped into it. But it really could rip out even the tiniest piece of information. "So they'll gain knowledge about the ships from the interrogation?"

"That's the plan. Modify then fill the suits with water. The Goh controls it via the interface. Carson and Teyla are in Central now testing it with Eldus."

The Jumper took off and within ten minutes they were over Ignothia. Two Vipens were heading back to Caronaa to pick up more victims and passed the Jumper as it came in to land. On the edge of the crevice stood two Caronaan warriors, waiting to help. Once on the ground, Stackhouse opened the rear hatch and the warriors approached to take Kerria down to the water. Ronon followed John out who pushed Rodney along to stand at the edge. There were two more warriors on the ledge below and the two above carefully passed Kerria down to them. Several of the sicker plague victims were already in the water, their heads the only thing above the waterline. Each had a nurse who would stay with them for the duration. John would be Kerria's attendant, Ronon, Rodney's. Kerria was slipped into the water as John climbed down to be with her, then the warriors turned their attention to Ronon and Rodney.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" Rodney whispered to Ronon as he wrapped his uninjured arm around his stomach.

"They could take you down in the chair," Ronon smirked.

"No thanks," Rodney muttered and purposely stood up.

There was no easy way to get Rodney down into the crevice, so the warriors had to carry him down. Ronon saw him turn a shocking shade of white as the warrior's metal hands closed around his torso. It lofted him into the air as the second warrior took hold of his legs and then they began the descent. By the time they climbed over the edge, Ronon could see Rodney's eyes closing. He called on one of the warriors already in the crevice to help him, the sides too steep to take on one-handed. The warrior supported him down the rocky wall then Ronon hurried to the water's edge. A loop of bandage was threaded beneath Rodney's arms, then he was slipped into the water like the others. He'd passed out from the pain and Ronon grabbed the bandage loop and pulled Rodney closer to float beside him.

"He just never gets it easy, does he?" John commented as he held Kerria in much the same way.

"It wouldn't have been so painful had he allowed them to use the chair."

"Come on, you're lucky he allowed you to use one to get him out the hospital."

"True," Ronon chuckled. "He's stubborn. Tried to push me away at every turn though he was clearly struggling."

John nodded. "He respects you too much to show weakness in front of you."

"That's… stupid," Ronon replied, stunned to hear such a thing. "I wouldn't think less of him. He has a hole in his side that I'd be proud of, so of course he's gonna be sore."

"That's McKay for you," John smiled. "I don't think he's had many friends in his life, so he constantly tries to impress the ones he has now when he can."

Ronon looked down on the sleeping man who bobbed about in the water next to his leg, thinking that the stubborn fool had no need to try to impress him. Ronon was impressed by him every day in one way or another. Just a few days ago they'd argued over who would go with John to Ignothia and he was impressed because Rodney stood his ground and wouldn't back down until Carson stepped in. The very fact that Rodney purposely got into a biosuit with full knowledge he was going to battle terrifying beasts, was impressive. Rodney had saved all their lives so many times and in so many different ways, that Ronon couldn't help but be impressed by the man. But then, maybe it was his own fault that Rodney tried so hard. It wasn't as if he was an open book and told people what he thought of them. Usually he let his face do the talking, but then he supposed that over the years of being a Runner, his face had become permanently fixed with a menacing expression. The only talking it did now was tell people to piss off.

As if reading his mind, John said, "I often find it best to be up front, honest and blunt with Rodney. It's the only way he understands, or at least, the only things he takes as truth. It's why I'm patient with him, and I tell him, whenever the opportunity arises, what I want him to know. Because the truth is, we never know when a conversation might be our last, hell, this little adventure proves that, almost too well."

Ronon continued to stare at the top of Rodney's head. "I guess I better speak with him when this is all over."

"No," John chuckled, "You start a big heart to heart, and he'll run a mile. I'm just saying, there will be a right time, just take the chance when it comes."

"Like you're doing," Ronon nodded toward Kerria's floating form.

"Exactly like I'm doing," John replied softly looking down at Kerria.

Their conversation was halted when one of the nurses at the other side of the ledge cried out. The victim she sat with had awoken and was splashing about in the water, shock on his face.

"Oh Great Being! Where am I?!" he cried out and continued to splash until the nurse took hold of his arm and pulled him to the ledge. As she calmed him and launched into an explanation for the man, John smiled and pulled Kerria closer.

"Seems like the water is working. I wonder how long it will take for our two."

Ronon shrugged, but noted that Rodney didn't appear quite as pale as he had when they arrived. He was about to comment on it when John drew in a sharp breath and Ronon looked over in time to see Kerria open her eyes.

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. dog biscuits this time, pleeeeeeez!