Being a McKay (aka The Kid and Mr. McKay) , PG
Title: Being a McKay (aka The Kid and Mr. McKay)
Genfic
Rating: PG
Warnings: none at all
Summary: Uh, McKay and a kid, lost in the woods? Fight or Flight, the instinct was called. The unreasoning urge to deal with danger by lashing out against whatever caused the fear or to avoid it by running away. Thought does not really enter into it, there is no room in it for logic. There is only the fear and the adrenaline.
Rodney ran.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Kerensa, as always for her advice and beta skillz. Not to mention the cheerleading and occasional kick in the pants.
Rodney accepted the bowl of stew from the villager, nodding his thanks at the preteen girl and hissing as the hot broth slopped over the edge onto his fingers. Ronon sat next to him on the bench. His bowl looked small in the calloused hands that cupped it.
The bench was along the wall of the communal building in the center of the village. Surrounding it were many smaller huts, used for sleeping. The communal building was the heart of the village, where everyone gathered for meals and to socialize in the evening. In one corner a group of women sewed and knitted, children sitting at their feet or running around in play. In another, a group of men were talking as they carved wood and did leatherwork. Closer, next to the fire, Teyla and John sat eating with the village council.
Rodney didn't dig into the stew in his hands immediately. He anxiously watched Ronon take a bite. The Satedan shrugged and nodded. "S'good!"
McKay sighed in relief and stuck his burnt fingers in his mouth to lick off the stew that covered them. It wasn't a foolproof method of determining whether citrus had been used in a meal, but it soothed Rodney's nerves to have one of his teammates taste-test for him.
They had agreed to do it after his energetic questioning of the cook on Doad had nearly derailed relations with its natives.
There had been a time on another world when the addition of what looked like a red lime to the sauce covering a roasted bird had almost been disastrous. Fortunately Sheppard had recognized the zing of citrus and kept McKay from taking a bite -- just in time.
So now, Rodney did his best not to harass his hosts. He restrained himself to asking once about the ingredients, only occasionally describing in detail exactly what constituted a citrus fruit (in case it was called something else on whatever planet they were on) before one of his team would volunteer to check it for him.
As he pulled the fingers away from his lips, he looked up to see a child watching him. Big blue eyes stared up at him from under a curly blonde fringe. Round cheeks framed a wide delighted smile as the Pegasus galaxy's version of Shirley Temple giggled at him.
He rolled his eyes and tried to ignore her to concentrate on his food. The wooden spoon held some sort of meat (best not to ask exactly what kind, he'd learned), orange and yellow chunks of vegetables and green flecks floating in a dark brown broth. It certainly smelled heavenly and lunch had been too long ago. The first bite was tentative, even so. He held the food on his tongue, trying to identify the flavors, frowning in concentration. The little girl giggled again.
Rodney didn't really like kids. No, strike that. It wasn't that he didn't like them, it was that he didn't have any experience with them. You never knew what to say, what do with them. That and their alarming tendency to burst into tears when he tried didn't help matters any. Whatever he did tended to be the wrong thing and, then, not only was the kid crying but every adult in the area would descend on him, saying his name in varying tones of anger, frustration, surprise or disappointment. He wasn't really a monster who enjoyed making children cry, it just seemed to… happen. Easier for everyone, if he avoided them.
He ignored her and tried to take another bite. Just as it reached his lips, Ronon bumped his elbow, nodding his head toward the girl as if Rodney had not already seen her inching toward them. The big man had a soft look on his face, amusingly sappy, which didn't help Rodney's mood as the nudge sent the spoonful of hot stew down his chin, burning him yet again.
The child seemed to think he was the funniest thing ever, as she laughed out loud.
"Oh that does it! Go play in the forest or something, would ya?" Rodney snapped at her. And immediately regretted it. Not only did the child's face fall, her lip began to quiver and her eyes welled with tears. She ran off to one of the women .
"Nice, McKay." Ronon growled at him. "Do you torment small animals, too?"
True to form, the adults were heading toward him. He pushed the bowl into Ronin's hands and slipped outside into the dark.
###################
"I am sorry for this, Bayth. I know Dr. McKay did not intend to scare the child. He is not cruel, merely unused to children." Teyla tried to soothe the mother, who cuddled the little one to her shoulder.
"Yeah, he just never learned to work and play well with others." Sheppard inserted.
"I see. Well, it is about time she slept anyway. She is tired and that may not have helped. I can see he did not mean ill." The mother did not look entirely convinced, but Mergan was half-asleep already and getting heavy, so she did not want to stand and argue.
After she left, Teyla and Sheppard went back to their conference with the council, discussing the possibility of trading for food and cloth. It was some time later when they were interrupted by the whine of the Darts.
###################
Rodney leaned back against the wall of the sleeping hut the team had been given. The small building was little more than a shed, one-room, with small, woven panels that could be used to divide it for privacy. The air was cool and he was grateful for the warmth of his uniform jacket as he looked up at the night sky.
He wasn't tired -- it wasn't that late -- so he wasn't ready to turn in. Returning to the fire was out of the question. He didn't feel ready to deal with the looks he knew everyone would give him. It wasn't like he tried to be abrasive and hurt people's feelings, especially kids. Most people had a sort of mental filter that took what they were thinking and translated it, made it acceptable to say, before it came out of the mouth. His brain-to-mouth filter was practically non-existent, that's all. And shouldn't his genius in other things mitigate that, make up for it?
He picked up a couple of pebbles and tossed them one at a time into the path in front of him.
Several figures left the main building and headed to small huts and Rodney was grateful for the cover of the shadows. There were a few women, accompanied by babes-in-arms and toddlers, and he would hate to scare anyone else to tears tonight.
Odd how every planet had some sort of animal that clicked, chirped, ticked or made some other rhythmic night noise. They usually reminded him of crickets or katydids, even when he knew that they probably looked completely different. The overall effect was the same though -- soothing, lulling night music. He let the sounds wash over him and contemplated getting up to grab an MRE from the packs. There was a powerbar in his pocket, but he kept that for emergencies. It seemed like too much effort and he stayed where he was, knees drawn up and arms crossed over them, hands dangling.
It wasn't long before the women headed back to the main building, the children presumably asleep. The strains of some sort of pipe floated out and someone began singing. Maybe he would go back inside… no. They'd still be waiting to lecture him and he didn't feel like listening to it right now.
Maybe that MRE would be a good idea. That shaky feeling in his hands and the slight headache warned him that his glucose level was dropping and he needed to eat something. He pulled himself to his feet and was about to go inside the little hut when he saw her.
The little girl he had frightened earlier was standing in the path a few feet away, watching him warily. He was about to say something when he realized the night sounds had stopped. The high-pitched whine of the Dart was barely audible before he filled his lungs and shouted as loud as he could.
"Wraith! Wraith!"
Inside, the main building, the shout caused an immediate reaction. Ronin jumped to his feet, knocking the two empty stew bowls to the floor. Teyla and John picked up their weapons and headed for the door, only to be amazed that the villagers headed for the walls. A woman jerked at a rope tied in the corner and the walls fell away from the support poles of the building. The villagers fled into the night.
"Rodney?" John called into his radio."Where are you?"
"Outside! They aren't here yet, but I can hear at least three… oh shit!"
Familiar white beams began to fill the night and Sheppard's team headed for the trees.
*~*~*~
Rodney cut off his discussion with Sheppard when he saw the culling beams start. One flashed onto the path right behind the little girl, haloing her.
"Run!" He yelled at her, even as he headed in her direction. She stared at him, lip quivering, too frightened to move.
Cursing under his breath, he scooped her up and threw himself headlong into the bushes beside the path. She grabbed at his collar with both hands and buried her face in his shoulder as he dodged between the trees.
Wailing and screaming sounded all around him and the white light of a culling beam stabbed into the trees to the right. Rodney stumbled left instinctively.
The child in his arms sobbed hysterically in his ear. He really wished she would stop, it made it difficult to hear and think, and he was sure every Wraith in the area would hear her, too.
The flight through the forest was a blur. Roots tripped him, leaves and branches plucked at their clothing and hair, slapped him in the face, as if conspiring to hold them for the Wraith to find. At one point, he felt the radio in his ear fall free and knew that he didn't dare stop to look for it. He tried to keep going in what he thought was the direction of the Gate, but every flash of a white light would send him pelting in the other direction.
Finally, lungs heaving, sweat trickling into his eyes, he found himself leaning against a tree trunk. His arms felt like they were going to fall off from carrying the kid, who had to weigh fifteen kilos, at least. She was no longer wailing but the soft whimpers she gave still seemed very loud in the still forest.
"You okay?" he asked her quietly, as he tried to shift her higher in his arms. Her only response was to clutch tighter at his jacket. Rodney continued to glance around him, and wished madly for a life-signs detector. Anything could be sneaking up on them right now, Wraith aside. Did this planet have bears or wild cats or anything similarly feral? He just wasn't used to being in the woods without someone who knew these things and could protect him!
His legs protested so he scooted down the tree, knees bent, to crouch and ease his aching arms and shoulders by setting her weight partly on his knees. He didn't want to sit down. It would take him too long to get back up, providing he'd be able to at all. Wouldn't bet chocolate on it. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his teeth.
It was dark and the reddish moon was hidden behind dark cloud. Rodney thought that perhaps he could relax now. Maybe they were safe enough. The Wraith would no doubt be gone by morning and he knew his team would be looking for him. He'd really love to have his radio right about now. Back-up would be good. He tipped his head back against the rough bark, which snagged his hair as he tried to look around.
He had no idea how far they were from the village so he had no idea if they were in any danger from the Wraith patrols. Hiding till daylight was their best option. He sighed heavily. At least the kid was quiet now, nearly asleep for all he could tell. Her curls tickled his chin. She had let of the jacket and tucked her arms between their chests. Poor thing was probably cold, he thought, wearing only a thin gown.
It was difficult unzipping the coat. She mumbled and grabbed at him when he tried to move her away far enough to reach the fastener. Finally it opened and he wrapped it around her too, tucking her against his chest. He couldn't zip it up again -- it wasn't made to hold two. The girl responded to the warmth by trying to pull her legs up inside too, bumping Rodney hard enough in the groin to make him grunt.
There was something nice, he had to admit, about having a little kid curled up in your arms, so trusting and innocent. It made him feel a little funny inside, protective and fierce. Or maybe it was just hunger. Who knew?
He hadn't really seen a child this age asleep since Jeannie was young. Then, he had not paid attention, being much older himself and involved with his own problems. The thought of what a Wraith would do to a child sickened him.
Well, he might not be a Dex or even a Sheppard, that wasn't going to happen to this kid, not while HE was around. Being a McKay would have to be enough! Determination grew and he tightened his arms around his charge, shifting her weight again to ease his aching muscles.
He must have dozed off, as uncomfortable as he was, because the next thing he knew, he was startled awake, tense and alert. Somewhere off to his left, something was moving, headed straight for them. It was still very dark, there was no way to tell who or what it was. It could be Sheppard (not Teyla or Ronon -- they wouldn't have made that much noise). It could be a wild animal, scenting 'easy prey'. Or, it could be a Wraith, tracking them by their scent. Perhaps they didn't get a big enough catch in the village and were hunting stragglers.
There was no way he could call out, to make sure, even if he thought it was a good idea, because his throat had tightened up and he was sure no sound would come out. They should stay where they were, motionless, and perhaps whatever it was would go right past them, unseen.
No, the noise was coming straight toward them. Panic built and he knew in his gut it was a Wraith, maybe more than one… they'd be trapped and the Wraith would tear the girl out of his arms and feed on him. Would they feed on her as well? Perhaps they considered the very young a delicacy, like veal. Or would they kill her and toss her aside, like unripe fruit? Either way, he was a McKay, and they weren't getting their filthy life-sucking hands on someone in his protection!
Fight or Flight, the instinct was called. The unreasoning urge to deal with danger by lashing out against whatever caused the fear or to avoid it by running away. Thought does not really enter into it, there is no room in it for logic. There is only the fear and the adrenaline.
Rodney ran.
Trying desperately to be quiet, to avoid the branches that would rustle as he went past, to keep his own breaths from rasping loud enough to be heard. The ground sloped upward a little and he followed it up, running blindly, feet slipping, his arms wrapped around the little girl so that he couldn't use them to keep balance, frantically trying to stay on his feet. Time sense fell away, he had no idea how long or far he had run, but only the escape mattered until… the ground gave way under his foot and they fell. He braced his arms, trying to cushion his charge with his own body, feeling every bump. Then a blow against his right temple whited out his vision and the world went away.
~*~*~*~
Light filtered in, dim and purplish, as he woke. His body ached abominably and his head felt as though someone had driven a spike straight through.
"Jeannie?" he mumbled. She was around here somewhere, God she had to be! He was the big brother, it was his job to protect her and he couldn't do that if he didn't know where she was.
Turning his head hurt but he had to look around and there she was, yes! sitting on the ground next to him with her wide eyes staring at him, cheeks shiny and wet, and why had she been crying?
His parents were going to be so mad and on top of yelling at him, they'd start yelling at each other, too. And Jeannie would get scared and he'd probably wake up with her crawling into bed with him again, crying. She always did after one of their big fights and he'd never admit it, but having those little arms clasped around his neck and her soft breath in the room had helped to soothe him to sleep more than once.
He pulled himself up and scooted over to rest his back against the nearest tree. The pain shooting through his head blurred his vision and he hissed in reaction to it. Jeannie stood and walked hesitantly closer. Rodney patted his lap absently and she perched on his thigh. He could hear her stomach growl.
She was hungry and he didn't have anything to give her… or did he? He patted his pockets and found a power bar in one.
Clumsily, he tore the foil. His fingers wouldn't cooperate, so it took a few moments to expose the food. Jeannie looked at him like she had no idea what it was, so he put it to her lips. She took a tentative bite, then devoured it.
It was steadily getting brighter, so he could see her face as she gobbled the food. For some reason, he was sure it wasn't a good thing it was getting lighter, but his head hurt so badly and he was having a really hard time thinking, so he couldn't remember why. He concentrated and remembered that Bad Things were after them. The Bad Things wanted to eat them and he knew he shouldn't believe in monsters, but he had to save his little sister. Light would make it harder to hide and they had to hide or they'd be caught.
The world dipped and swayed as he tried to stand but he managed, using the tree trunk for support.
"Come on," Rodney put his hand out to Jeannie. She hesitated but took it after he wiggled his fingers at her, arm extended in her direction.
The path to his right seemed to lead to the ridge. A cave would be good, high ground is easier to defend. John must've told him that. Where was John? He'd help him protect Jeannie. The thought slipped away as the ground moved drunkenly beneath his feet.
A tree trunk steadied him and he lurched from that one to the next. A succession of trees gave way to boulders he could lean against to catch his breath, Jeannie walking patiently beside him.
Finally, he collapsed behind a huge boulder, unable to go further. His sister sat quietly beside him and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulled close against him before closing his eyes, just for a moment.
~*~*~*~*~*
"John!" Teyla shouted. She held her hand out to him as he approached. In her palm was the earpiece of Rodney's radio.
"Damn! Now we know why he hasn't been answering. Okay, we know he was here, so we should be able to track him, right?" Sheppard looked at Ronin questioningly.
"I can track him." Dex's gruff answer was met with relief.
A few moments spent studying the ground gave him the clues he needed and they headed off. Broken branches marked his path and even John could read some of the signs as the sun rose and the day began to get brighter.
They nearly lost the trail, at one point, until Teyla spotted a scrape and they guessed that he must have fallen down the steep slope. It took several minutes to gingerly work their way down.
"Blood." Ronin looked up from a sharp rock near the bottom. Teyla and John cast worried looks at each other, as the Satedan led them to a tree only a few feet away. A foil wrapper caught their eyes and Teyla picked it up with something like relief.
"He has been here." The words implied much more -- he's alive, he is not too badly injured, he is close.
"This is weird." Ronon pointed to footprints.
"What?" John's tone was sharp, wary.
"He isn't alone. These prints go alongside his. Small, light. Probably a child." Ronon followed the prints even as he spoke.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Voices woke him. Someone was coming. They were coming for Jeannie and for him. He wasn't going to let them hurt his sister! Frantically, he picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of the noise.
"What the…?" The words carried clearly in the cool air. He used the sound to aim another rock and he could hear scuffling as the other scrambled away from it. Another rock came to his hand. He wiped the blood out of his eyes, before tossing this one, hoping his aim would be better.
"Rodney! Cut it out, would ya? It's us!"
Another rock. Throw, wipe, feel for another missile to throw. His head hurt too badly, he couldn't think right, the only thing he could do was protect her. protect his sister and the only thing he had to do that with were the rocks littering the ground around him.
Three voices now, calling his name, coming closer and annoyingly dodging his throws easily. Then John's face was in front of him, his hand gripping his wrist and he knew it was okay, because John was here, he'd protect Jeannie and Rodney could… just…
Arms caught him as he fell and as he went under, he heard Jeannie start to cry.
~*~*~*~*~
The trip back to village took a while. Ronon carried Rodney draped over his shoulders, the easiest way in this terrain, while Teyla carried Mergan, and John hovered.
Their entry into the village was met with cheers. Bayth came running up to them, crying in her relief to see her missing child. Teyla passed her the little girl with a smile, then followed the men to the hut they were to have slept in the night before.
John was helping Ronin ease Rodney off his shoulders and onto the bed, the two of them being as gentle as possible. He roused a little then and tried to sit up.
"Jeannie!" he looked around frantically. "Where's Jeannie?" His hand caught John's vest and pulled him closer. "John! You have to protect her. Promise me!"
"Yeah. Sure Rodney…"
"You are safe now. Jeannie is safe. Please, you must rest, lie down!" Teyla's encouragement and gentle pressure against his shoulders coaxed him to relax and close his eyes again.
"I think we need to get him home." John stood and headed to the door. "I'm going to see if we can get a stretcher or something to carry him in."
Teyla settled onto the cot beside Rodney and used a cloth to wipe the blood off his forehead as they waited.
~*~*~*~*~
"Rodney, you have a visitor. Are you feeling up to company?"
"Yes, I'm fine -- wait, who is it? If it's Kavanaugh, I'm much too ill for company, dying even!"
Carson chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's not Kavanaugh. A beautiful young lady, actually…"
"Well, really?" His voice absolutely did not squeak on that last word. "How do I look?" Rodney ran a nervous hand over his hair, making Carson chuckle again.
Elizabeth's voice floated into the room ahead of her, "… will be glad to see you and Mergan. "
Rodney tried to look annoyed as the child and her mother came into the room, but his relief at seeing her was overwhelming. The others had reassured him that the little girl was fine, but he liked seeing things for himself.
The little girl caught sight of him and squealed. She ran up to the bed and held out her arms in the (apparently) universal gesture for'pick me up!' and he did, though not without rolling his eyes and
scowling. He suspected the scowl didn't look as sincere as it might have, but he did have a certain image to maintain.
The child sat on his lap and chattered to him, handing him the flowers in her posy one at a time. He gravely took each flower and sniffed at it, before placing it in his water glass. The two of them completely ignored everyone else in the room until every bloom had been arranged to Mergan's satisfaction.
"Thank you," he told her gravely and she smiled in response, then hugged him tight around the neck. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back. Through her curls he could see Carson grin. She let go and he risked a glance at Elizabeth who was looking at him with a bemused expression. "What?" His best glare seemed to have no effect on them, as Carson's grin widened.
"Mergan, come," The girl's mother called to her and the little girl pressed sticky lips to his cheek before she bounced to the floor. At the doorway, hand in Bayth's, she turned and gave him a happy wave as they left.
Rodney touched his hand to his cheek. "Huh." Perhaps he wasn't a Sheppard, or a Dex, but maybe, this time, being a McKay had been good enough.
Genfic
Rating: PG
Warnings: none at all
Summary: Uh, McKay and a kid, lost in the woods? Fight or Flight, the instinct was called. The unreasoning urge to deal with danger by lashing out against whatever caused the fear or to avoid it by running away. Thought does not really enter into it, there is no room in it for logic. There is only the fear and the adrenaline.
Rodney ran.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Kerensa, as always for her advice and beta skillz. Not to mention the cheerleading and occasional kick in the pants.
Rodney accepted the bowl of stew from the villager, nodding his thanks at the preteen girl and hissing as the hot broth slopped over the edge onto his fingers. Ronon sat next to him on the bench. His bowl looked small in the calloused hands that cupped it.
The bench was along the wall of the communal building in the center of the village. Surrounding it were many smaller huts, used for sleeping. The communal building was the heart of the village, where everyone gathered for meals and to socialize in the evening. In one corner a group of women sewed and knitted, children sitting at their feet or running around in play. In another, a group of men were talking as they carved wood and did leatherwork. Closer, next to the fire, Teyla and John sat eating with the village council.
Rodney didn't dig into the stew in his hands immediately. He anxiously watched Ronon take a bite. The Satedan shrugged and nodded. "S'good!"
McKay sighed in relief and stuck his burnt fingers in his mouth to lick off the stew that covered them. It wasn't a foolproof method of determining whether citrus had been used in a meal, but it soothed Rodney's nerves to have one of his teammates taste-test for him.
They had agreed to do it after his energetic questioning of the cook on Doad had nearly derailed relations with its natives.
There had been a time on another world when the addition of what looked like a red lime to the sauce covering a roasted bird had almost been disastrous. Fortunately Sheppard had recognized the zing of citrus and kept McKay from taking a bite -- just in time.
So now, Rodney did his best not to harass his hosts. He restrained himself to asking once about the ingredients, only occasionally describing in detail exactly what constituted a citrus fruit (in case it was called something else on whatever planet they were on) before one of his team would volunteer to check it for him.
As he pulled the fingers away from his lips, he looked up to see a child watching him. Big blue eyes stared up at him from under a curly blonde fringe. Round cheeks framed a wide delighted smile as the Pegasus galaxy's version of Shirley Temple giggled at him.
He rolled his eyes and tried to ignore her to concentrate on his food. The wooden spoon held some sort of meat (best not to ask exactly what kind, he'd learned), orange and yellow chunks of vegetables and green flecks floating in a dark brown broth. It certainly smelled heavenly and lunch had been too long ago. The first bite was tentative, even so. He held the food on his tongue, trying to identify the flavors, frowning in concentration. The little girl giggled again.
Rodney didn't really like kids. No, strike that. It wasn't that he didn't like them, it was that he didn't have any experience with them. You never knew what to say, what do with them. That and their alarming tendency to burst into tears when he tried didn't help matters any. Whatever he did tended to be the wrong thing and, then, not only was the kid crying but every adult in the area would descend on him, saying his name in varying tones of anger, frustration, surprise or disappointment. He wasn't really a monster who enjoyed making children cry, it just seemed to… happen. Easier for everyone, if he avoided them.
He ignored her and tried to take another bite. Just as it reached his lips, Ronon bumped his elbow, nodding his head toward the girl as if Rodney had not already seen her inching toward them. The big man had a soft look on his face, amusingly sappy, which didn't help Rodney's mood as the nudge sent the spoonful of hot stew down his chin, burning him yet again.
The child seemed to think he was the funniest thing ever, as she laughed out loud.
"Oh that does it! Go play in the forest or something, would ya?" Rodney snapped at her. And immediately regretted it. Not only did the child's face fall, her lip began to quiver and her eyes welled with tears. She ran off to one of the women .
"Nice, McKay." Ronon growled at him. "Do you torment small animals, too?"
True to form, the adults were heading toward him. He pushed the bowl into Ronin's hands and slipped outside into the dark.
###################
"I am sorry for this, Bayth. I know Dr. McKay did not intend to scare the child. He is not cruel, merely unused to children." Teyla tried to soothe the mother, who cuddled the little one to her shoulder.
"Yeah, he just never learned to work and play well with others." Sheppard inserted.
"I see. Well, it is about time she slept anyway. She is tired and that may not have helped. I can see he did not mean ill." The mother did not look entirely convinced, but Mergan was half-asleep already and getting heavy, so she did not want to stand and argue.
After she left, Teyla and Sheppard went back to their conference with the council, discussing the possibility of trading for food and cloth. It was some time later when they were interrupted by the whine of the Darts.
###################
Rodney leaned back against the wall of the sleeping hut the team had been given. The small building was little more than a shed, one-room, with small, woven panels that could be used to divide it for privacy. The air was cool and he was grateful for the warmth of his uniform jacket as he looked up at the night sky.
He wasn't tired -- it wasn't that late -- so he wasn't ready to turn in. Returning to the fire was out of the question. He didn't feel ready to deal with the looks he knew everyone would give him. It wasn't like he tried to be abrasive and hurt people's feelings, especially kids. Most people had a sort of mental filter that took what they were thinking and translated it, made it acceptable to say, before it came out of the mouth. His brain-to-mouth filter was practically non-existent, that's all. And shouldn't his genius in other things mitigate that, make up for it?
He picked up a couple of pebbles and tossed them one at a time into the path in front of him.
Several figures left the main building and headed to small huts and Rodney was grateful for the cover of the shadows. There were a few women, accompanied by babes-in-arms and toddlers, and he would hate to scare anyone else to tears tonight.
Odd how every planet had some sort of animal that clicked, chirped, ticked or made some other rhythmic night noise. They usually reminded him of crickets or katydids, even when he knew that they probably looked completely different. The overall effect was the same though -- soothing, lulling night music. He let the sounds wash over him and contemplated getting up to grab an MRE from the packs. There was a powerbar in his pocket, but he kept that for emergencies. It seemed like too much effort and he stayed where he was, knees drawn up and arms crossed over them, hands dangling.
It wasn't long before the women headed back to the main building, the children presumably asleep. The strains of some sort of pipe floated out and someone began singing. Maybe he would go back inside… no. They'd still be waiting to lecture him and he didn't feel like listening to it right now.
Maybe that MRE would be a good idea. That shaky feeling in his hands and the slight headache warned him that his glucose level was dropping and he needed to eat something. He pulled himself to his feet and was about to go inside the little hut when he saw her.
The little girl he had frightened earlier was standing in the path a few feet away, watching him warily. He was about to say something when he realized the night sounds had stopped. The high-pitched whine of the Dart was barely audible before he filled his lungs and shouted as loud as he could.
"Wraith! Wraith!"
Inside, the main building, the shout caused an immediate reaction. Ronin jumped to his feet, knocking the two empty stew bowls to the floor. Teyla and John picked up their weapons and headed for the door, only to be amazed that the villagers headed for the walls. A woman jerked at a rope tied in the corner and the walls fell away from the support poles of the building. The villagers fled into the night.
"Rodney?" John called into his radio."Where are you?"
"Outside! They aren't here yet, but I can hear at least three… oh shit!"
Familiar white beams began to fill the night and Sheppard's team headed for the trees.
*~*~*~
Rodney cut off his discussion with Sheppard when he saw the culling beams start. One flashed onto the path right behind the little girl, haloing her.
"Run!" He yelled at her, even as he headed in her direction. She stared at him, lip quivering, too frightened to move.
Cursing under his breath, he scooped her up and threw himself headlong into the bushes beside the path. She grabbed at his collar with both hands and buried her face in his shoulder as he dodged between the trees.
Wailing and screaming sounded all around him and the white light of a culling beam stabbed into the trees to the right. Rodney stumbled left instinctively.
The child in his arms sobbed hysterically in his ear. He really wished she would stop, it made it difficult to hear and think, and he was sure every Wraith in the area would hear her, too.
The flight through the forest was a blur. Roots tripped him, leaves and branches plucked at their clothing and hair, slapped him in the face, as if conspiring to hold them for the Wraith to find. At one point, he felt the radio in his ear fall free and knew that he didn't dare stop to look for it. He tried to keep going in what he thought was the direction of the Gate, but every flash of a white light would send him pelting in the other direction.
Finally, lungs heaving, sweat trickling into his eyes, he found himself leaning against a tree trunk. His arms felt like they were going to fall off from carrying the kid, who had to weigh fifteen kilos, at least. She was no longer wailing but the soft whimpers she gave still seemed very loud in the still forest.
"You okay?" he asked her quietly, as he tried to shift her higher in his arms. Her only response was to clutch tighter at his jacket. Rodney continued to glance around him, and wished madly for a life-signs detector. Anything could be sneaking up on them right now, Wraith aside. Did this planet have bears or wild cats or anything similarly feral? He just wasn't used to being in the woods without someone who knew these things and could protect him!
His legs protested so he scooted down the tree, knees bent, to crouch and ease his aching arms and shoulders by setting her weight partly on his knees. He didn't want to sit down. It would take him too long to get back up, providing he'd be able to at all. Wouldn't bet chocolate on it. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his teeth.
It was dark and the reddish moon was hidden behind dark cloud. Rodney thought that perhaps he could relax now. Maybe they were safe enough. The Wraith would no doubt be gone by morning and he knew his team would be looking for him. He'd really love to have his radio right about now. Back-up would be good. He tipped his head back against the rough bark, which snagged his hair as he tried to look around.
He had no idea how far they were from the village so he had no idea if they were in any danger from the Wraith patrols. Hiding till daylight was their best option. He sighed heavily. At least the kid was quiet now, nearly asleep for all he could tell. Her curls tickled his chin. She had let of the jacket and tucked her arms between their chests. Poor thing was probably cold, he thought, wearing only a thin gown.
It was difficult unzipping the coat. She mumbled and grabbed at him when he tried to move her away far enough to reach the fastener. Finally it opened and he wrapped it around her too, tucking her against his chest. He couldn't zip it up again -- it wasn't made to hold two. The girl responded to the warmth by trying to pull her legs up inside too, bumping Rodney hard enough in the groin to make him grunt.
There was something nice, he had to admit, about having a little kid curled up in your arms, so trusting and innocent. It made him feel a little funny inside, protective and fierce. Or maybe it was just hunger. Who knew?
He hadn't really seen a child this age asleep since Jeannie was young. Then, he had not paid attention, being much older himself and involved with his own problems. The thought of what a Wraith would do to a child sickened him.
Well, he might not be a Dex or even a Sheppard, that wasn't going to happen to this kid, not while HE was around. Being a McKay would have to be enough! Determination grew and he tightened his arms around his charge, shifting her weight again to ease his aching muscles.
He must have dozed off, as uncomfortable as he was, because the next thing he knew, he was startled awake, tense and alert. Somewhere off to his left, something was moving, headed straight for them. It was still very dark, there was no way to tell who or what it was. It could be Sheppard (not Teyla or Ronon -- they wouldn't have made that much noise). It could be a wild animal, scenting 'easy prey'. Or, it could be a Wraith, tracking them by their scent. Perhaps they didn't get a big enough catch in the village and were hunting stragglers.
There was no way he could call out, to make sure, even if he thought it was a good idea, because his throat had tightened up and he was sure no sound would come out. They should stay where they were, motionless, and perhaps whatever it was would go right past them, unseen.
No, the noise was coming straight toward them. Panic built and he knew in his gut it was a Wraith, maybe more than one… they'd be trapped and the Wraith would tear the girl out of his arms and feed on him. Would they feed on her as well? Perhaps they considered the very young a delicacy, like veal. Or would they kill her and toss her aside, like unripe fruit? Either way, he was a McKay, and they weren't getting their filthy life-sucking hands on someone in his protection!
Fight or Flight, the instinct was called. The unreasoning urge to deal with danger by lashing out against whatever caused the fear or to avoid it by running away. Thought does not really enter into it, there is no room in it for logic. There is only the fear and the adrenaline.
Rodney ran.
Trying desperately to be quiet, to avoid the branches that would rustle as he went past, to keep his own breaths from rasping loud enough to be heard. The ground sloped upward a little and he followed it up, running blindly, feet slipping, his arms wrapped around the little girl so that he couldn't use them to keep balance, frantically trying to stay on his feet. Time sense fell away, he had no idea how long or far he had run, but only the escape mattered until… the ground gave way under his foot and they fell. He braced his arms, trying to cushion his charge with his own body, feeling every bump. Then a blow against his right temple whited out his vision and the world went away.
~*~*~*~
Light filtered in, dim and purplish, as he woke. His body ached abominably and his head felt as though someone had driven a spike straight through.
"Jeannie?" he mumbled. She was around here somewhere, God she had to be! He was the big brother, it was his job to protect her and he couldn't do that if he didn't know where she was.
Turning his head hurt but he had to look around and there she was, yes! sitting on the ground next to him with her wide eyes staring at him, cheeks shiny and wet, and why had she been crying?
His parents were going to be so mad and on top of yelling at him, they'd start yelling at each other, too. And Jeannie would get scared and he'd probably wake up with her crawling into bed with him again, crying. She always did after one of their big fights and he'd never admit it, but having those little arms clasped around his neck and her soft breath in the room had helped to soothe him to sleep more than once.
He pulled himself up and scooted over to rest his back against the nearest tree. The pain shooting through his head blurred his vision and he hissed in reaction to it. Jeannie stood and walked hesitantly closer. Rodney patted his lap absently and she perched on his thigh. He could hear her stomach growl.
She was hungry and he didn't have anything to give her… or did he? He patted his pockets and found a power bar in one.
Clumsily, he tore the foil. His fingers wouldn't cooperate, so it took a few moments to expose the food. Jeannie looked at him like she had no idea what it was, so he put it to her lips. She took a tentative bite, then devoured it.
It was steadily getting brighter, so he could see her face as she gobbled the food. For some reason, he was sure it wasn't a good thing it was getting lighter, but his head hurt so badly and he was having a really hard time thinking, so he couldn't remember why. He concentrated and remembered that Bad Things were after them. The Bad Things wanted to eat them and he knew he shouldn't believe in monsters, but he had to save his little sister. Light would make it harder to hide and they had to hide or they'd be caught.
The world dipped and swayed as he tried to stand but he managed, using the tree trunk for support.
"Come on," Rodney put his hand out to Jeannie. She hesitated but took it after he wiggled his fingers at her, arm extended in her direction.
The path to his right seemed to lead to the ridge. A cave would be good, high ground is easier to defend. John must've told him that. Where was John? He'd help him protect Jeannie. The thought slipped away as the ground moved drunkenly beneath his feet.
A tree trunk steadied him and he lurched from that one to the next. A succession of trees gave way to boulders he could lean against to catch his breath, Jeannie walking patiently beside him.
Finally, he collapsed behind a huge boulder, unable to go further. His sister sat quietly beside him and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulled close against him before closing his eyes, just for a moment.
~*~*~*~*~*
"John!" Teyla shouted. She held her hand out to him as he approached. In her palm was the earpiece of Rodney's radio.
"Damn! Now we know why he hasn't been answering. Okay, we know he was here, so we should be able to track him, right?" Sheppard looked at Ronin questioningly.
"I can track him." Dex's gruff answer was met with relief.
A few moments spent studying the ground gave him the clues he needed and they headed off. Broken branches marked his path and even John could read some of the signs as the sun rose and the day began to get brighter.
They nearly lost the trail, at one point, until Teyla spotted a scrape and they guessed that he must have fallen down the steep slope. It took several minutes to gingerly work their way down.
"Blood." Ronin looked up from a sharp rock near the bottom. Teyla and John cast worried looks at each other, as the Satedan led them to a tree only a few feet away. A foil wrapper caught their eyes and Teyla picked it up with something like relief.
"He has been here." The words implied much more -- he's alive, he is not too badly injured, he is close.
"This is weird." Ronon pointed to footprints.
"What?" John's tone was sharp, wary.
"He isn't alone. These prints go alongside his. Small, light. Probably a child." Ronon followed the prints even as he spoke.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Voices woke him. Someone was coming. They were coming for Jeannie and for him. He wasn't going to let them hurt his sister! Frantically, he picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of the noise.
"What the…?" The words carried clearly in the cool air. He used the sound to aim another rock and he could hear scuffling as the other scrambled away from it. Another rock came to his hand. He wiped the blood out of his eyes, before tossing this one, hoping his aim would be better.
"Rodney! Cut it out, would ya? It's us!"
Another rock. Throw, wipe, feel for another missile to throw. His head hurt too badly, he couldn't think right, the only thing he could do was protect her. protect his sister and the only thing he had to do that with were the rocks littering the ground around him.
Three voices now, calling his name, coming closer and annoyingly dodging his throws easily. Then John's face was in front of him, his hand gripping his wrist and he knew it was okay, because John was here, he'd protect Jeannie and Rodney could… just…
Arms caught him as he fell and as he went under, he heard Jeannie start to cry.
~*~*~*~*~
The trip back to village took a while. Ronon carried Rodney draped over his shoulders, the easiest way in this terrain, while Teyla carried Mergan, and John hovered.
Their entry into the village was met with cheers. Bayth came running up to them, crying in her relief to see her missing child. Teyla passed her the little girl with a smile, then followed the men to the hut they were to have slept in the night before.
John was helping Ronin ease Rodney off his shoulders and onto the bed, the two of them being as gentle as possible. He roused a little then and tried to sit up.
"Jeannie!" he looked around frantically. "Where's Jeannie?" His hand caught John's vest and pulled him closer. "John! You have to protect her. Promise me!"
"Yeah. Sure Rodney…"
"You are safe now. Jeannie is safe. Please, you must rest, lie down!" Teyla's encouragement and gentle pressure against his shoulders coaxed him to relax and close his eyes again.
"I think we need to get him home." John stood and headed to the door. "I'm going to see if we can get a stretcher or something to carry him in."
Teyla settled onto the cot beside Rodney and used a cloth to wipe the blood off his forehead as they waited.
~*~*~*~*~
"Rodney, you have a visitor. Are you feeling up to company?"
"Yes, I'm fine -- wait, who is it? If it's Kavanaugh, I'm much too ill for company, dying even!"
Carson chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's not Kavanaugh. A beautiful young lady, actually…"
"Well, really?" His voice absolutely did not squeak on that last word. "How do I look?" Rodney ran a nervous hand over his hair, making Carson chuckle again.
Elizabeth's voice floated into the room ahead of her, "… will be glad to see you and Mergan. "
Rodney tried to look annoyed as the child and her mother came into the room, but his relief at seeing her was overwhelming. The others had reassured him that the little girl was fine, but he liked seeing things for himself.
The little girl caught sight of him and squealed. She ran up to the bed and held out her arms in the (apparently) universal gesture for'pick me up!' and he did, though not without rolling his eyes and
scowling. He suspected the scowl didn't look as sincere as it might have, but he did have a certain image to maintain.
The child sat on his lap and chattered to him, handing him the flowers in her posy one at a time. He gravely took each flower and sniffed at it, before placing it in his water glass. The two of them completely ignored everyone else in the room until every bloom had been arranged to Mergan's satisfaction.
"Thank you," he told her gravely and she smiled in response, then hugged him tight around the neck. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back. Through her curls he could see Carson grin. She let go and he risked a glance at Elizabeth who was looking at him with a bemused expression. "What?" His best glare seemed to have no effect on them, as Carson's grin widened.
"Mergan, come," The girl's mother called to her and the little girl pressed sticky lips to his cheek before she bounced to the floor. At the doorway, hand in Bayth's, she turned and gave him a happy wave as they left.
Rodney touched his hand to his cheek. "Huh." Perhaps he wasn't a Sheppard, or a Dex, but maybe, this time, being a McKay had been good enough.