Best of the Ficlets and Drabbles
Title: Best of the Ficlets and Drabbles
Fandom: Stargate SG-1, Universe, Atlantis
Characters: Sheppard, Mitchell, Jonas, Jack, Young, Eli, Janet, The Devil, Lorne, McKay, Carter, Parrish, Beckett
Orientation: Gen, het, slash
Rating: PG
Word Count: 5178
Notes: Done for the stargatelandPrompt Challenge
I did a lot of drabble/ficlets last week. It was fun, I looked at it, as I always do, as an exercise.
I went back through and pulled out the ones I liked the best.
3 that might get turned into something bigger
Title: Freedom
Series: SGA/SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Characters: John Sheppard/Cameron Mitchell
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 257
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge, Day 4
03- SGA/SG1, John Sheppard &/ Cameron Mitchell, Free
John looked at the paper on the table in front of him. The judge advocate, the medical department, his commanding officer and hell, the notary public had all signed off on the damned thing. It just needed his signature on the bottom line to be official. He looked up to see that the Commodore… no, he should get used to calling him by name now… that Cameron.. was watching him intently.
He was signing his life away. Thirty four years of freedom, gone with the stroke of a pen. This pen. He stared at the offending implement, twirling it between his fingers. His knee was lightly hitting the underside of the table, he always bounced his foot when he was nervous, and right now he was about to freak out.
There was no other way. In his mind, he knew it. He had accepted that this had to happen. But that didn’t make his heart stop hurting. It did not make the pain in his gut ease. The knowledge of this being the only solution to the problem did not silence the little voice in his head that kept repeating accusations of failure.
This piece of paper was all that stood between him and a long stint in Leavenworth. This piece of paper was in itself a paradox; in order to remain free; he had to sign this paper that would take away his freedom.
With a heavy sigh, he scratched his name on the bottom line and slid the document across the table to Cameron Mitchell.
Title: Last Minute
Series: SGA/SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Character: Jonas Quinn
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 381
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge, Day 4
04- SG1, Jonas Quinn, Last minute
Langara was in flames. The Hrsul attacks had left every major city burning. Not one of the factions was left unaffected by the devastation. There was no government any longer; no one was in control in this uncontrollable situation.
Holding his injured arm as tightly against his stomach as he could manage, Jonas ran across the park towards the military zone. Most people were running away from it, but Jonas had heard a rumor that the Stargate was still functional and that people were using it to get off Langara. He did not know if that was true, but it gave him something to do when the alternative was sitting down to die. And so, he ran.
Luck favored him, the rumor was true. One of the Earth SGO soldiers shoved him roughly into a line of people and told him, “You might make it, if the front of the line moves fast enough.”
A Hrsul ship flew overhead, the engines screaming nosily as it rained destruction down on the Langaran capital. Like the others in the line, Jonas ducked as it passed. When the others ran, he ran forward.
“Hurry, hurry!” One of the SGO soldiers standing near the Stargate screamed. “Thirty six minutes! Hurry people, hurry!”
The people behind Jonas began to shove, Jonas nearly stumbled, but a burly earth soldier grabbed the collar of his jacket and steadied him, while at the same time, shoved him forward. There was no one to catch him when he was shoved again. He tripped forward into the puddle of blue that promised safety.
Cold and injured, Jonas tumbled and rolled onto a cold steel ramp. Three other people fell through behind him, and then the shimmering puddle disappeared. Strangers came to Jonas’ side, helping him to stand. He winced as someone touched his injured arm, the person apologized and called for a medic.
“Let’s look at that, shall we?” A woman with a kind face wearing a white coat reached for his arm, examining it. “What is your name?”
“Jonas. Jonas Quinn. Where am I? There was no time to ask, I don’t even know where I am.”
“I’m Doctor Frasier. You’re at the Earth Alpha Site, Mister Quinn. This is broken, come with me and we’ll get you splinted up.”
Title: Favorites
Series: SGA/SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Character: Jack O’Neill, Cam Mitchell
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 466
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge, Day 3
29- SG1, Jack & Cam, "Favoritism ain't my thing but in this situation I'll be glad to make an exception."
“Are you up to a visit, Sir?” Without waiting for an answer, since O’Neill was bored out of his skull the answer was always yes, Cam sat down in the bedside chair.
O’Neill scowled at him. “If you’re here to try to convince me to take that consulting job again, the answer is still the same.”
Smiling, Cam gave a shake of his head and in his best ‘aw shucks’ voice replied, “Now, Sir, you know that what you keep telling me to do to myself is physically impossible. But that’s not why I’m here. Samantha told me to stop pestering you about the job.”
“Oh, so a civilian tells you to knock it off and you do, but your commanding officer tells you to cease and desist and you keep on like a fox with a chicken leg. Your priorities are screwed up, Mitchell; we have to work on that”
Flashing O’Neill a hopeful grin, Cam asked innocently, “Does this mean you’re still my CO?”
“Stop that! That is not what I said! You’re a sneaky bastard. It’s a good thing I like your keri, Mitchell. Out of respect for him, I haven't hurt you yet.”
“I know, we’ve been fortunate to have you on our side in the past, Sir. I should thank you, by the way.”
O’Neill eyed him suspiciously, alert for another of Mitchell’s persuasive tactics. “Thank me for what?”
“What you did for John. You put yourself on the line for him.”
Jack’s first instinct was to deny everything. But it really didn’t matter anymore; the government he had been rebelling against was dust. There was no one around to question or analyze his command decisions any longer. Jack shrugged. “I always liked Sheppard. He needed someone in his corner.”
“It was you all along, pulling the strings, keeping him on the advancement track. You protected him from the OIA and the brass all these years. You were the one that made it possible for him to get to Atlantis.” Mitchell had long suspected it, but this was the first time he was voicing it. He had never expected to ask O’Neill about it directly.
Cam also never expected that O’Neill would admit to it. But the Marshal nodded and explained, “Sheppard was not your typical keri. He was different and that caught my attention. The more I watched him, the more I found myself rooting for him, wanting him to succeed. I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, but I couldn’t help it, I liked that kid. He was an exception, so I made an exception.”
There was no disagreeing with the statement, Cam felt the same way.
“But if you tell anyone I said so, I’ll kill you. Go away now Mitchell, before you bother me. You, I never liked.” But O’Neill smiled as he said it.
Five where Rink thought Rink was being clever with the prompt:
Title: Coming to Collect
Series: SGU
Characters: The Devil, Everett Young
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 176
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
12- SGU, Everett Young/Camille Wray, Devil’s Due
She rolled her eyes and stared around at the ugly ship and the frightened little people. The ship, she could do without, but she got a little charge from the fear. Fear was fun, she liked it.
This host body would do for the short term; this was a simple retrieval, after all. She didn’t have to actually stay here, unless she liked it. There wasn’t only fear here, there were so many delicious emotions, all bottled up and contained in this vessel. Anxiety, stress, panic and angst; all washed over her, recharged her. Even better, to her delight, was the suspicion. Suspicion bred so many other delectable things for her to feed off.
There would be nightmares too, nightmares to twist, to encourage, to nurture.
Yes, she might stay a while. There was no hurry to collect on the contract. She sat on the curved metal staircase and stared across the chamber at Colonel Everett Young, and licked her lips. He wasn’t going anywhere. His soul was hers; she would have her due, in time.
Title: Last Laugh Now
Series: SGU
Characters: Eli
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 358
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
05- SGU, Eli Wallace & Nicholas Rush, tables are turned
Warning: Deathficlet!!!
Eli stood outside the stasis pod, staring at Rush. He had done so much to make Eli feel small, inferior, and completely insignificant during their time on Destiny.
Who had the last laugh now? Who was in control? Who was out and free while someone else was a popsicle? Eli laughed. The sound echoed through the empty corridors of the Destiny. His hand hurt. He looked down at the swollen, painful, infected sore. His first aid efforts were not doing any good. He wished TJ was out with him. She would care for this, TJ was good people, he liked her.
He laughed again, vaguely aware that the fever from the infection was making him slightly mad. The food was gone. He had stayed out for as long as he could, trying to effect the repairs to the last damaged stasis pod one-handed. He eyed the gun, Colonel Young’s gun, entrusted to Eli, given so that Eli could do the right thing, when the time came.
He clasped the gun in his hand and looked up at Rush. He could do the right thing, for everyone’s good. Eli was smarter than Rush. Eli cared about people. Rush only cared about science. People were more important. Eli could do the right thing.
Eli stepped back and disengaged the stasis field holding Rush in suspension. The scientist had time to blink in confusion at his sudden release and Eli standing before him with a grim expression on his face. But that was all the time he had. Eli raised the gun and fired. He chuckled under his breath as he dragged Rush’s corpse out of the stasis unit.
He was smarter. He placed the gun in Rush’s hand, arranging the corpse to look like a suicide. Then he got the cleaning chemicals and cleared up the mess he had made. Once the scene was set to his satisfaction, he stepped into the empty stasis pod. When they unfroze him, he’d tell them all the story he had concocted.
“Who has the last laugh now?” Eli muttered just as the unit engaged and he was preserved like the rest of the crew.
Title: To Protect
Series: SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Characters: Janet Frasier
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 259
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
01- SG1, Janet Fraiser, to protect and serve
When she had decided to become a doctor and entered medical school, Janet had envisioned a career path quite different than the one she was currently on.
She had expected to serve others, that had been a goal, she wanted to help people, make the sick well, ease suffering whenever she could. She pressed a wad of gauze to the gaping wound in Sergeant Harriman’s side, applying pressure. He was in danger of bleeding out if she could not get him to the Infirmary and the tools she needed to aid him. She needed to get there.
There were too many of them between the Control Room and the Infirmary, she could not go yet. She had to wait for the soldiers to clear the area of the enemy troops. Weapons fire pinged past her head, hit a bank of electronics, and caused a small explosion and a cascade of sparks. She leaned over Harriman, shielding his body with her own.
“Gromel masch tilgli!” One of the intruders, a big one with fancy braid on his armor plate came up the stairs and shouted at her. He stomped over and stared down at Harriman for moment and then grinned toothily. He brought up his weapon and aimed it at the unconscious Master Sergeant’s head.
The intruder fell to the floor in a heap a moment later, a bullet hole between his eyes. Janet slipped the Beretta back into the holster at her hip and resumed applying pressure to the wound as she waited for the all clear to sound.
Title: Strangely Familiar
Series: SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Characters: Cam Mitchell
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 166
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
10- SG1, Cameron Mitchell- Wormholes
Wing Commander Cam Mitchell had done some dangerous things in his time, some even in the line of duty. He had drag raced his daddy’s mustang to the edge of a cliff. He’d gone cliff diving in Hawaii. He’d tried parachuting for fun, and found it not too much different than jumping out of planes for Air Services and gave it up as a hobby. He had flown in a potential suicide run over the base in Antarctica, and been shot down. He’d volunteered for a dangerous medical procedure in the hopes of walking again.
This? This ranked up there with the best of his crazy decisions. He was sitting in the cockpit of a tiny little experimental ship, a ship that was arguably more sensor equipment and recording devices than actual flying machine. He was about to attempt to skirt the edge of a wormhole created without the benefit of a nice, round, naquadah laced ring to contain it.
He was out of his mind.
Title: Bribery Will Get You Anything
Series: SGA
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Characters: Sheppard, Lorne
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 355
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
29- SGA, John Sheppard & or / Evan Lorne, how to bribe your 2IC to do your paperwork
He was never going to finish the stack of paperwork on his desk. It seemed that for each thing he completed, two more sprung up from some unknown paperwork vortex that existed in the vicinity of his desk. If it wouldn’t require a form, signed in triplicate and approved by the head of the science department to accomplish, John would have had the room checked for paperwork anomalies.
How did Lorne do this? He never had stacks of unfinished work on his desk.
Frustrated, John pushed away from his desk and walked down the hallway to Lorne’s office. When John knocked, Evan looked up from whatever he was working on.
“How do you do it?” John blurted.
“Do what?” Evan asked casually, leaning back in his chair and smirking at John. He knew Sheppard was up to his ears in paperwork, and had been expecting him to show up. He was surprised; he’d expected him half an hour ago.
Sheppard waved helplessly at the clean surface of Lorne’s desk. “That! How do you manage that? My desk looks like a file cabinet barfed on it, and you’ve got… wood grain.”
“Well, I could tell you my secrets, share a few hints.” He gave John a flirty glance. “I might even be persuaded to take some of it off your hands, for a little exchange.”
“Anything, Evan.” Evan smiled at the reply. Oh yeah, Sheppard was desperate.
“Anything?”
Catching on quickly, Sheppard blushed and gave him a wicked smile. “Anything.” He leaned towards the door and swiped his hand over the crystal beside it, setting the lock. John circled the desk and leaned down close to Evan’s face and whispered, “What sort of exchange did you have in mind?”
Evan congratulated himself on another operation successfully completed. He knew John would never figure out that the ‘extra’ paperwork he negotiated Evan into taking off his hands was actually the stack of Evan’s own work that he had slowly snuck onto John’s desk over the past week.
5 Where Rink amused Rink
Title: Do Your Own Damned Paperwork
Series: SGA
Characters: Lorne, Sheppard
Rating: Gen
Word Count; 536
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
Prompt #15- SGA, Evan Lorne, paperwork and more paperwork
Evan Lorne returned to his office after a long day of negotiations with the heads of several Pegasus potential allies gathered together on P6T-886, and was not thrilled to see that in his absence, the stack of files on his desk had grown. Was he the only one around here that ever did paperwork?
Tired, disgruntled, he stomped overt to the desk and flipped through the top folder, and then the half dozen under it. “This isn’t even my paperwork!” Evan shouted, and scooped up as much of the pile as he could gather on one arm and stormed out of the office with it.
He mentally shouted at Atlantis to open Sheppard’s damned door and then plowed through, heedless of anyone or anything that might be in his way. Luckily, Sheppard was alone, seated behind the desk, working on his computer. He cast a mildly interested glance at Evan and drawled sarcastically, “Come on in, Ev… no, I’m not at all busy. Have a seat.”
That just riled him further. Evan dropped the pile of folders on the desktop with a loud thump and then slammed one hand down on top of it while he pointed with one finger at John’s nose. “Do. Your. Own. Damned. Paperwork!”
He spun on his heel and went back to his office. He felt liberated. He went to the desk and quickly sorted the folders into piles. It seemed that stuff from every department head and officer had somehow migrated her to Evan’s office in the last few days.
Scooping up another pile and made a trip down to the physics lab. Plastering his best ‘scare-the-marines’ face firmly in place, he stormed into the lab and made straight for McKay. Since it had worked with Sheppard, he used the same tactic, slammed the stack of folders down, punched them a few times with his fist and then pointed in a threatening manner as he ground out, “Do. Your. Own. Damned. Paperwork.”
He had a small stack of field reports under his arm as he entered the gymnasium. He saw Ronon across the room and made his way over to him. Dex looked at him oddly, tilting his head as Evan held out the folders to him. “These are incomplete. They cannot be submitted like this. Please finish them and drop them off with Sheppard to make sure he signs off on them.” He turned on his heel and marched out.
After a few more similar trips, Evan had cleared a good two-thirds of the crap off his desk. And he felt good. He felt great, in fact. Maybe this would get people to stop taking advantage of his good nature for a while, and stop taking his administrative skills for granted.
He picked up another folder, there was only one, but he decided to deliver it now, in person. He whistled as he made his way to the hydroponics lab. He quietly entered and slunk up behind Parrish and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hi!”
David smiled broadly. “Hi! I thought you were buried in paperwork?”
Evan grinned wickedly, “Oh, you know me; I’m a wiz at paperwork. I took care of it. I’ve got some free time now.”
Title: Mornings and Coffee
Series: SGA
Characters: Sheppard, McKay
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 164
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
12- SGA, John Sheppard / Rodney McKay, We suffer mornings most of all.
Rodney McKay was not happy. “I hate you.”
“I hate you too,” Sheppard replied automatically, it was a ritual statement at this time of the month and required a ritual response. “Why do you hate me today?”
“I hate mornings. We both hate mornings. Was this crack-of-dawn meeting your dumbass idea?” McKay hissed, sipping his not-coffee. He missed caffeine most of all. He couldn’t wait until the month rolled over and the new ration of coffee was released for public consumption. On mornings like this he hated Evan Lorne, the one ultimately responsible for keeping him from coffee.
John shook his head and frowned at his own luke-warm cup of not-coffee. “Nope, Lorne’s meeting.”
“I am going to kill Lorne.” And so, McKay upheld tradition with yet another ritual declaration. Although he didn’t actually attempt to kill Lorne, he just threw his mostly empty cup of not-coffee at the major’s head when he finally strolled into the meeting he had called. Fifteen minutes late.
Title: Mad Scientist
Series: SGA
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Characters: Parrish, Lorne
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 189
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
17- SGA, David Parrish/Evan Lorne, mad-scientist
“I made you a plant.” David proclaimed as Evan strolled into the hydroponics lab looking for his keri.
David was covered in green shmutz and dirt from head to foot, his lab coat was ruined. His hair was sticking up on end and he had a crazed look in his eye from one too many nights without sleep.
“David, you cannot make plants. You can grow plants. Don’t try to tease the non-scientist, I won’t be fooled again.” Evan chided and leaned in to drop a kiss on the one clean spot of David’s face, right beside his nose.
“No, really. I spliced together two of the vegetables you said you liked. It worked, they’re growing. Look!” He held up a plant. Evan thought it looked like a plant.
“Okay, my little mad scientist. It is time for you to come home to rest and have a shower… maybe a bath, now that I look at you.” Evan took the plant from David’s hand and placed it on the bench.
Parrish whimpered and reached for his project. “But…”
“Say goodnight, Frankenstein.” Evan tugged him along out of the lab.
Title: Bluff ‘em
Series: SGA
Characters: Sheppard, Ronon, McKay
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 252
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge.
41- SGA, John Sheppard & Ronon Dex, poker night
“I think you’re bluffing.” John tossed a few chips into the pot and stared at Ronon across the table. “I raise you twenty.”
Rodney glanced at Ronon and then over at John. He’d dropped out two raises ago; a pair of Jacks just didn’t seem to warrant staying in when his friends were betting so confidently.
Without blinking, Ronon tossed another few chips into the pot. “See your twenty, raise you twenty.”
John stared at the cards in his hand and wondered just how much practice Dex had been getting playing cards with the marines. A glance up showed him nothing, Ronon had not changed position, the man had no tells. It was annoying. Everyone had tells.
Sheppard had reached the point in the game where he knew he was being mildly reckless and more than slightly stubborn. He didn’t want to give up. “See and raise another ten.”
Apparently, neither did Ronon. He calmly counted out the chips and tossed them in. Then he grinned and shoved the entire pile of chips into the center of the table. “All in.”
Blinking at the two pairs in his hand, eights and twos, John sighed with resignation, Ronon must be holding something good. There had been a lack of royalty on the table earlier. “Too rich for me, I fold.”
With a bark of laughter, Ronon tossed his cards down and scooped up his winnings. John snatched the cards and flipped them over. “Nine high!?! You bastard, you bluffed on a nine high?”
Title: Forget It
Series: SG-1
Characters: Carter, O’Neill
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 135
Notes: For the stargateland Theme Week Prompt Challenge
02- SG1, Jack O'Neill / Samantha Carter, Amnesia.
“So, what’s it like?” The man asked, looking at her.
“What’s what like?”
He waved a hand in a circle near his head. “The amnesia.”
The word didn’t mean anything to her, but then again, most words didn’t. “What’s amnesia?”
He sighed. “Forgetting everything.”
“I forgot everything? Why?”
The man pointed towards her head, “You knocked your noggin, Carter.”
“Am I Carter?”
“Yes.”
She smiled at him. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, he rolled his hand and prodded, “So, what’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“The amnesia.”
“What’s amnesia?”
“You know what? Forget I asked.”
And 5 that might make you go ‘Aw” or perhaps evoke a sniffle
Title: No One Listening
Series: SGA/SG-1
part of the Keri 'verse
Character: Mitchell/Sheppard
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 193
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge
08- SGA, John Sheppard, playing his guitar when he thinks no one is listening
John was very secretive with his music. He never let anyone hear him play, not even Cam. His excuse to Cam was that he sucked at it and it was just for him and he preferred not to inflict his non-talent on anyone else.
He usually played late at night, when he thought Cameron was alseep. John still labored under the mistaken belief that he could slide out of the bed without Cam being aware of it. Cam wondered how long it would take for his keri to figure out he was wrong.
The balcony door didn’t muffle the music as well as John thought it did. Cam could still hear him. Cam had also taken to leaving the window over their bed open, and he could hear perfectly well through that.
He rolled over onto his stomach and listened as John picked out an intricate classical piece. He wanted to tell John that the music touched him, but he was afraid of the reaction. Someday, he’d figure out a way to say what he felt, when he was sure the words would not put a stop to the music on the balcony.
Title: One Thing That Matters
Series: SGA/SG-1
part of the Keri 'verse
Character: Jack O'Neill
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 195
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge
22- SG1, Sam Carter & or / Jack O'Neill, in the end it doesn't really matter
Jack never considered himself to be a particularly brave individual. He did what had to be done, when it needed to be done.
Abydos had been an exception to so many rules. He conceded that perhaps, when it came to Abydos, he had been a little brave.
The hardest thing he had ever done and the bravest face he had ever put on was when he gave the order for Sam to be put through the Gate to Atlantis. Without him, without Janet, alone. He put his faith in their friends to take care of her, he knew Daniel and Mitchell would help her pick up the pieces.
Then he went to Antarctica, to sit in the chair and try to make a crazy half-baked plan work. Without Sam. With only Bill Lee and some jackass name Kavanaugh to work the magic that he usually relied on Samantha Carter to produce.
The sky fell. As he knew it would. But it didn’t really matter. He had been brave that one last time when it had truly counted for something. He had sent his love to safety, Samantha would live. And that was all that mattered.
Title: Remembering Melena
Series: SGA/SG-1
Character: Ronon, David Parrish
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 230
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt Challenge
45- SGA, Ronon Dex, the anniversay of Melena's death
Due to the time differences between planets, Ronon could never be sure what day it would have been back on Sateda. In the end, he picked the first day of winter, using the Earther’s calendar, to mark the rememberence of Melena’s death.
He wandered down to the gardens, it was quiet there, a good place for reflection. He wandered the paths, thinking about Sateda and Melena and the short time they had been together.
There was someone else in the garden today. Ronon stopped short, but then continued as he recognized David Parrish. Parrish was okay, he was quiet. He walked over to where the botantist knelt.
“Hello, Ronon.”
“Parrish. New stuff?” Ronon pointed towards the small flat of plants beside him.
David reached over and picked up one of the purple-leafed plants. “Teyla’s people plant this to mark a special occasion. They dry the leaves and brew a tea from it and drink it in memory.”
After thinking for a few moments, Ronon crouched down and pointed to one of the loose plants. “Could I do one?”
“Be my guest.” Parrish handed him a small spade and pointed to an open area in the planting bed. “Right over there, anywhere.”
Yeah, Ronon liked Parrish. He didn’t pry. They worked quietly and Ronon was free to think about Melena, and how she would have liked this small bit of symbolism.
Title: Just Breathe
Series: SGA/SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Character: David Parrish, Carson Beckett, John Sheppard
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 434
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. Doctor Beckett had been against the idea; he had argued that David did not need to go into the room. But David had insisted. He had to take several deep breaths, had forced himself to be calm as he firmly insisted that he had a right, as next of kin, to see the proof 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, 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.”
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.
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 slow.” 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.”
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.
Title: Black Blossoms
Series: SGA/SG-1
Part of the Keri ‘verse
Character: David Parrish
Rating: PG
Word Count 432
Warnings: mention of character death
Prompt: for stargateland Prompt challenge, Day 2
13- SGA, David Parrish/Evan Lorne, Black flowers blossom
Until he was gone and a segment of wall had been dedicated to his panor’eten, David had been unaware of all the friends Evan had in Atlantis. There were many, many messages on the wall. It hurt David to read them, so he avoided the wall these days. David thought that perhaps John Sheppard had the right idea, the Sub Commander also pointedly avoided coming here to the Memorial Garden.
But David could not leave the Garden. It was all he had now, with Evan gone. He had trees and plants to tend, that was his purpose, he still had a purpose, even without Evan. So he still came, every day, after his work in the botany lab was completed. It was quiet, noone bothered him here. No one forced him to talk.
He had his own little memorial for Evan, one which did not hurt quite so much to look at, not like the wall hurt. David knelt on the grass beside the small plaque that one of the Athosians had carved in exchange for a zucchini plant and two tomato plants. It simply said ‘Evan Lorne’ in Athosian script. There were lovely curlicues that Evan would have liked. Evan had always appreciated hand crafts. David had not wanted the date on it, he didn’t need to see the date. He didn’t even need to see Evan’s name, but he thought there should be something to the marker other than curlicues.
The marker was nestled in a flowerbed, ringed by flowers. David had planted bulbs and seeds in a pattern that would ensure there was almost always something in bloom in this spot for Evan. He had picked the plantings carefully, with a great deal of forethought. Thinking was hard and it had taken him a long time to decide what to do here.
The flowers that were blooming now were from one of the last missions he and Evan had gone on together. David remembered that he had found the twilight blooming night blossoms just as they were heading back to the Gate. He had made Evan wait, impatiently, while he dug up samples to take back to Atlantis. He thought it quite appropriate that these particular flowers be planted here.
Black blossoms, rich and dark, almost a true black. The flowers were so very appropriate for this place. There shouldn’t be bright and cheerful flowers here, not for Evan. Not now. David wasn’t ready yet. These blossoms were right. The heavy scent was mournful, as it should be, in this place of mourning. Black blooms for his heavy heart.