Just Breathe
Title: Just Breathe
Fandom: SGA/SG-1
Series: Part of the Keri ‘verse (Mid Keri)
Character: David Parrish, Carson Beckett, John Sheppard
Rating: PG
Orientation: Slash
Word Count: 542
Warning: Mention of apparent character deaths... and corpses
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge, Day 2
52- SGA, Evan Lorne/David Parrish, breathe.
They had let him see the bodies yet. Doctor Beckett had been against the idea; he had argued that David did not need to go into the room, he didn't need to see what remained of his panor'eten. But David had insisted. He had to take several deep breaths, and had forced himself to be calm as he firmly insisted that he had the right, as next of kin, to see the proof for himself, with his own eyes that Evan was gone.
In the end, it was the law that convinced Beckett, because David was right in this; he was permitted this demand. But David had to appeal to Sheppard to get the doctor to recognize it, and it was Sheppard that reminded Beckett of the law.
He stood outside the cold room being used as a morgue, gathering his thoughts and his courage. Doctor Beckett walked up to him and reached a finger out to dab a bit of menthol cream on David’s upper lip, just beneath his nose. “You’ll be needing that, lad. Just breath normally, that goop will help keep the burnt smell from overwhelming you.” Beckett patted his arm. "You let me know if you need to leave. I'll be right here."
It was so very much worse than he had expected. Two charred forms rested on the tables in the room. He gasped in a breath, unsure if he could do this. Why had he needed to see?
“Do you still want to do this, David?” He heard John Sheppard’s voice, quiet near his ear, as a warm hand clasped his and squeezed. John interlaced their fingers and stood closely at his side.
He was now. He wasn’t alone. He could do this. He nodded forcefully, the motion of his head sending tears spraying in all directions.
“You’re going to hyperventilate, David. Just breath slowly.” Sheppard squeezed his hand.
“This isn’t bothering you, seeing them like this?” David whispered the question as he took a few small steps forward into the room, Sheppard matching his pace and staying right with him.
“It is. But I’ve seen them already. I’m here for you David. Evan would want me to be here for you. Talk to me, David, I'll listen.”
He went between the two tables, and stopped between the heads. “Which is…?” He looked helplessly at John.
John pointed, “That’s Evan.”
He looked down, but the ghastly corpse there was not his beloved. His panor’eten was color and light, and warmth and love. This was not his beloved. The air had gotten thin, he couldn’t catch his breath. He gasped, looking at Sheppard in a panic.
His knees went all wobbly and he started to slump, but Sheppard was there and caught him with an arm around his middle. “You’re all right David. Easy, just breathe. I’ve got you, come on, let’s go now, maybe you’ve had enough.”
He was led from the room. He couldn’t look back. He leaned on Sheppard, listened to his instructions, let his friend lead him home and talk to him, offering an ear, a shoulder, whatever David needed or wanted.
But no amount of counseling by Sheppard was going to help, not now. He just needed Evan.
He just wanted Evan.
Fandom: SGA/SG-1
Series: Part of the Keri ‘verse (Mid Keri)
Character: David Parrish, Carson Beckett, John Sheppard
Rating: PG
Orientation: Slash
Word Count: 542
Warning: Mention of apparent character deaths... and corpses
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge, Day 2
52- SGA, Evan Lorne/David Parrish, breathe.
They had let him see the bodies yet. Doctor Beckett had been against the idea; he had argued that David did not need to go into the room, he didn't need to see what remained of his panor'eten. But David had insisted. He had to take several deep breaths, and had forced himself to be calm as he firmly insisted that he had the right, as next of kin, to see the proof for himself, with his own eyes that Evan was gone.
In the end, it was the law that convinced Beckett, because David was right in this; he was permitted this demand. But David had to appeal to Sheppard to get the doctor to recognize it, and it was Sheppard that reminded Beckett of the law.
He stood outside the cold room being used as a morgue, gathering his thoughts and his courage. Doctor Beckett walked up to him and reached a finger out to dab a bit of menthol cream on David’s upper lip, just beneath his nose. “You’ll be needing that, lad. Just breath normally, that goop will help keep the burnt smell from overwhelming you.” Beckett patted his arm. "You let me know if you need to leave. I'll be right here."
It was so very much worse than he had expected. Two charred forms rested on the tables in the room. He gasped in a breath, unsure if he could do this. Why had he needed to see?
“Do you still want to do this, David?” He heard John Sheppard’s voice, quiet near his ear, as a warm hand clasped his and squeezed. John interlaced their fingers and stood closely at his side.
He was now. He wasn’t alone. He could do this. He nodded forcefully, the motion of his head sending tears spraying in all directions.
“You’re going to hyperventilate, David. Just breath slowly.” Sheppard squeezed his hand.
“This isn’t bothering you, seeing them like this?” David whispered the question as he took a few small steps forward into the room, Sheppard matching his pace and staying right with him.
“It is. But I’ve seen them already. I’m here for you David. Evan would want me to be here for you. Talk to me, David, I'll listen.”
He went between the two tables, and stopped between the heads. “Which is…?” He looked helplessly at John.
John pointed, “That’s Evan.”
He looked down, but the ghastly corpse there was not his beloved. His panor’eten was color and light, and warmth and love. This was not his beloved. The air had gotten thin, he couldn’t catch his breath. He gasped, looking at Sheppard in a panic.
His knees went all wobbly and he started to slump, but Sheppard was there and caught him with an arm around his middle. “You’re all right David. Easy, just breathe. I’ve got you, come on, let’s go now, maybe you’ve had enough.”
He was led from the room. He couldn’t look back. He leaned on Sheppard, listened to his instructions, let his friend lead him home and talk to him, offering an ear, a shoulder, whatever David needed or wanted.
But no amount of counseling by Sheppard was going to help, not now. He just needed Evan.
He just wanted Evan.