Fic - Caveman - SGA - PG
Title: Caveman 50ficlets
Author: Kazlynh
Claim: Table 3/Ronon Dex
Prompt: #10 Tall
Fandom:SGA
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1516
Summary:Rodney and John are injured on a mission
Ronon heard Rodney scream, followed by a more masculine shout. Turning back, he was already running through the trees towards Mackay and Sheppard when he heard the gunfire. There were four more, controlled, bursts before Ronon reached the clearing he had left them in.
Tehla arrived just ahead of him and began firing at an animal in the middle of the small clearing. The bullets, however, were bouncing harmlessly off its thick, plated hide. It stopped, turning towards her, rearing up onto its hind legs.
Ronon swore, bringing his gun to bear, fear stabbing through him. Reared up, the animal was half again as tall as he was…
He fired at its head. It made no sound, or none that he could hear, but it stepped back, turning towards him. For the first time, Ronon saw the soft, apparently un-armoured, skin on its underbelly. He took aim.
As he squeezed the trigger, the beast leapt at him.
Ronon cursed, rolling out of the way, coming back to his feet, bringing the gun up as the animal turned and reared up again. Ronon fired.
The animal took a step back. Ronon fired a third time: then a fourth.
The animal flailed for a moment, snapping its head left and right… then it toppled backwards, crashing to the ground. Ronon put another two charges into its throat, making sure it had stopped moving before he stepped back.
Turning, he saw Tehla kneeling, half obscured by the long grass. Jogging over, he had almost reached her before he saw Jon lying on his back, conscious but obviously in pain.
“Jon,” Tehla warned again, “Do not move. You are injured. Where is Rodney?”
“Dunno…” Jon groaned. “Thing came… out of nowhere…”
Ronon turned, scanning the area, “Mackay!”
If Rodney had taken off, there was no way of knowing which direction he had gone in. If he was injured, lying in the long grass, unable to call for help, they wouldn’t find him until they fell over him. And Ronon’s instincts, honed by years of evading the Wraith, warned him that it wouldn’t be long before more of those creatures turned up. He could feel it in the pit of his belly.
“Mackay!”
There was a noise to his right, almost like a soft groan, and Ronon turned, taking a step forward. “Mackay?”
Hearing the noise again, Ronon moved forward, “Mackay!”
He found the scientist crumpled on his side, lying on the grass at the base of a tree. His arm was lying at a strange angle and his face was covered in blood. He moaned softly, but didn’t move. Worried not only by the blood but by how quiet the normally verbose Rodney was, Ronon dropped to his knees beside him.
“Mackay? Mackay can you hear me?”
Rodney’s eyes slid open. He frowned, as if confused. “Ronon?”
His voice was almost a whisper, devoid of strength.
Ronon swore, laying a gentle hand on Rodney’s shoulder. “Don’t move!” he warned Mackay. “You’ve been injured.”
Rodney frowned again. “I have?”
The bewilderment in Mackay’s voice deepened Ronon’s worry. Added to that was the fact that Ronon could feel his skin crawling, as if a thousand ants were running across it. Instinct was warning him to run, warning him that they were all in danger… but Rodney was obviously injured and although Ronon was no medic, he knew enough not to try to move the scientist. Turning, looking across at Teyla, he called, “Mackay’s hurt!”
“Is he bad?” Jon asked as Teyla rose and moved across to the Satedan.
“Bad enough,” Ronon confirmed, scanning the area, convinced that another of the animals was going to appear without warning. He rose to his feet, turning to Teyla as she reached him. “Can Sheppard be moved?” he asked softly.
She nodded, glancing back at Jon. “His ribs are injured and he is in pain, but I believe he will be able to walk.”
Ronon looked across at Sheppard, then down at Rodney before turning back to Teyla. “Get Jon out of here,” he told her, starting to take off his coat. “I’ll stay with Mackay. Not sure how bad he’s injured,” he went on, looking at Rodney again, “but he’s quiet and that can’t be good…”
Teyla nodded agreement. “I will take Jon to the Gate, then return,” she told him. “He said the animal attacked almost silently and without warning. If others come you will need help…”
“Think they’re already on their way,” Ronon warned her, leaning down to cover Rodney with his coat. “This place gives me the woogies…”
“I also feel this way,” Teyla confirmed, scanning the clearing. “Perhaps their communication is too low or too high for us to hear but still affecting us…” She handed the medical kit to him as he straightened. “I will return as quickly as I can.”
oo0oo
Ronon glanced down at Rodney before turning his attention back to the perimeter of the clearing. He had cleaned the blood from Rodney’s face, covering the gash above his eye with a dressing. He hadn’t risked trying to move him to search for other injuries. Rodney had obviously been thrown against the tree and Ronon was worried about his spine being damaged.
“You still with me, Mackay?”
There was no response. Swearing, Ronon dropped his gaze back to the scientist, leaning down to take a closer look at him. His breath was shallow and rapid. Ronon had no idea how much blood Rodney had lost, or how badly injured he might be internally, but it was possible that he was slipping into shock… More importantly, Ronon knew that with a possible head injury, he needed to keep Rodney awake. “Mackay!”
Rodney dragged his eyes open, “Hmmm?”
“Don’t go to sleep!” Ronon warned. “Talk to me!”
“Oh….” Rodney murmured. “Okay…” He went quiet for a moment then began, “Ronon?”
“Yeah?”
“My head hurts…”
“I know, Mackay,” Ronon told him. “It’s okay. Sheppard’s gone for help. And Teyla will be back soon…”
“Teyla…” Rodney repeated. He smiled, “She’s pretty…”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ronon couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at his lips as he turned to check the area behind him, remembering a conversation that he’d overheard in the medical centre after they’d brought him back from Sateda. “She is,” he agreed. “And I’m a caveman…”
“You are!” Rodney confirmed, sluggishly. “And I told Jon that… but he rolled his eyes…”
“It’s okay, Mackay…” Ronon assured him.
There was movement on the edge of the clearing and Ronon snapped round towards it, bringing his gun up.
“Ronon?”
He relaxed, recognising Teyla’s voice, “Over here!” He turned to Rodney, “Teyla’s back, Mackay…”
Teyla appeared at the edge of the clearing. She was followed by Lorne, a platoon of soldiers and Carson. She jogged across to Ronon, telling him, “Jon passed out as we reached the gate. I had to take him through. We came back as quickly as we could… How is Rodney?”
“His breathing’s not good, but I managed to keep him awake…” Ronon told her.
“We have seen nothing more of the animals on the way here,” Teyla told him.
“Nothing’s turned up since you left,” Ronon confirmed. “Maybe the woogies warned them off,” he finished as Carson reached them.
Sinking to his knees, the doctor hefted the medical pack off of his shoulders and leaned over Mackay. “Rodney? Rodney can you hear me?”
“Carson?” Rodney slurred, then supplied, “Ronon’s... a caveman…”
“Is he now?” Carson commented, beginning to check Rodney over. “Well, you can discuss that with him once we’ve got you sorted out.”
oo0oo
Ronon stood outside the medical centre, arms folded across his chest, waiting. Sheppard stood beside him.
“Jon,” Teyla tried again, “You should rest. Ronon or I will update you with Rodney’s condition…”
“She’s right,” Ronon told him. Then he went on, “You look like crap. You should rest.”
“My ribs don’t hurt as much when I’m standing up…” Jon countered.
“We’ll remember that when we’re carrying you back to your quarters,” Ronon quipped.
“Give it up!” Jon warned. “That’s an order!”
“Technically,” Teyla countered, “you have been relieved of duty by Doctor Beckett. You cannot issue orders…”
Ronon chuckled and Jon shot him a sour look, retorting, “Laugh it up, fuzz ball!”
All humour disappeared as Carson walked into the corridor. Ronon glanced at Teyla and Jon, pushing himself off the wall, unfolding his arms, tension fluttering in his stomach. The Doctor gave all three of them a reassuring smile.
“Rodney’s going to be fine,” he told them. “There’s no serious head injury,” he went on, “He’s cracked ribs and dislocated a shoulder, but there’s no spinal injury. We’re going to keep him here overnight for observation but we’ll hopefully release him tomorrow.”
Ronon relaxed, a slow smile pulling at his lips as Carson continued, “Now, will you get Colonel Sheppard out of here before I confine him to a bed in there!”
Ronon turned, taking Jon’s elbow. Teyla moved in, taking Sheppard’s other elbow.
“Jon will cause you no more concern,” Teyla told Carson. “I assure you…”