Kav_100- And I Long to Smell the Sea (051: Water)
Title: And I Long to Smell the Sea
Author: scarlet_gryphon
Rating: T
Words: ~1,106
Warnings: None
Prompt: 051: Water
Timeline: Early Season 3
Notes: General plot most likely influenced by the song "The Beginning" by The Classic Crime. Fic title comes from same song. I'd highly suggest listening to the song, which can be found here.
He misses the sound of the ocean as he tries to drift off to sleep. The hum of the Daedalus’ engines don’t have quite the same effect, and during the first few weeks of travelling between galaxies he finds that he can only get to sleep when he listens to a recording of one of Earth’s oceans pounding against a beach. The rest garnered by this stop-gap measure only ensures that he gets just enough energy to make it through the day and little else. He also misses -oh God, how he misses- the feel of a warm body lying next to him on the bed, the comforting weight of his beloved wife a calming and reliable presence throughout the night. His nightmares have returned; he often wakes to find his sheets soaked with sweat from the horrendously vivid images produced by his not-so-idle mind.
The horrifying scenes of his loved ones being fed on by Wraith as he’s forced to watch blur with those of Atlantis burning, her glory being eradicated by hungry flames. It’s only the realization that he’s safe in his bed when he jolts awake, breathing rapid and shallow, that calms his frayed nerves. He runs a shaking hand through his hair, staring unseeing at the wall across from his bed. This most recent nightmare- Running and calling through the empty and echoing halls of Atlantis, finding only the withered remains of the dead wherever he looks- is one of the worst in recent memory. It takes a while for his breathing to slow to somewhere approaching normal, though the after-effects of the adrenaline coursing through his blood keeps the shivers going for a few seconds longer before slowly fading away.
Nate glances over at the alarm clock and sighs softly. Four in the morning. Well, at least it’s better than the last few days; he’s routinely been awakened at two or even earlier by the nightmare landscapes, which edges him even closer towards true irritability than normal. He pushes the blankets back and gets up, the thin carpet that meets his feet barely holding back the seemingly always-present chill radiated by the metal floors of the Daedalus. The flickering blue-purple of hyperspace seeps through the cracks around the makeshift curtain -comprised of a bed-sheet held up with magnets- reaffirming the fact that he truly is not in recognizable space anymore. It doesn’t bother him as much as it used to- at least, not since he put the curtain up- but it’s still mildly disconcerting.
Since he’s up, and it’s doubtful that he’ll be able to get back to sleep, Nate gets dressed in his work uniform and heads down to the Mess, thinking that perhaps some food would help soothe his nerves. The deep rhuum-rhuum of the engines resonate almost subconsciously as he walks the near-empty halls, sounding like the far-off heartbeat of a slumbering giant. The ship’s scheduled to arrive at Atlantis at 1900 AST, and there’s supposed to be a week-long layover while Hermiod does some very complicated recalibrations to the hyperdrive. It’s both a blessing and a curse in that while the Daedalus’ crew will get some much-needed down time, there’s not much for them to do to help the Atlantis staff, since most of the crew have more than enough counterparts among the members of the Expedition.
The food helps some, but not much, so Nate debates between going back to his quarters and going to his post. Eventually, his post wins out, so he takes over for Captain Latimer and settles into his daily routine, anxiously awaiting the time when the Daedalus will drop out of hyperspace and arrive at Lantea. Time passes, though he would give anything to make it go quicker, and the announcement that they’re dropping out of hyperspace comes just as Nate’s finishing his daily shower. He grins as he dries off his hair, quickly changing into a clean uniform and throwing enough changes of clothes and uniforms into a duffle bag to last him the week. When he finishes with that and has his luggage all ready to go, he makes his way to the cargo bay where most of the other off-duty crewmembers are waiting, most with their own luggage sitting by their feet as they wait for the Daedalus to land.
Once the confirmation of their landing sounds out over the intercoms, Nate helps get the few crates that hold items either too volatile or fragile to beam down to the storerooms of Atlantis out onto the pier before taking his leave. He pauses at a secluded balcony, letting the fresh sea air flow over him, taking the cares of the day with it as it blows past. It’s one of the most refreshing things he’s experienced in a while, and it soothes his soul just that much more. He’s always loved the sea; it’s been a constant presence in his life from the time of his birth onwards. His hometown in Western Washington has a small public beach that he and his brothers used to go to when they still lived at home, and though it’s been a few years since he’s been back there, Nate knows that it’ll always be a part of him.
After a few minutes of contemplation, he picks up his duffle bag and resumes his trek into the inner hallways of Atlantis, the subconscious hum and chime of the Ancient city’s technology singing in the back of his mind. He arrives at his and Brooks’ quarters around ten minutes later, and runs his hand over the door crystals. They’re still keyed to him, so the door slides open and he enters the room, the familiar surroundings proving to be a calming tonic. All that’s missing is the presence of his wife, and that’s soon remedied by Brooks’ arrival some five minutes after he calls her on the radio to tell her he’s home. Their reunion is a joyful one, as it always seems to be after these long intervals without one another, and they quickly settle into their not-so-long-ago routines with very little trouble.
Yes, it may only last for a short time, but Nate knows that the sea -and the woman- he misses so much during the long days he’s away will sink even further into the very bones of his existence, and never let him go. He’s perfectly fine with that. And if his nightmares are forced back to the hellish planes from which they sprang, he won’t say anything. They’ll just be washed away on the renewing sea breeze, and all will be well.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Author: scarlet_gryphon
Rating: T
Words: ~1,106
Warnings: None
Prompt: 051: Water
Timeline: Early Season 3
Notes: General plot most likely influenced by the song "The Beginning" by The Classic Crime. Fic title comes from same song. I'd highly suggest listening to the song, which can be found here.
He misses the sound of the ocean as he tries to drift off to sleep. The hum of the Daedalus’ engines don’t have quite the same effect, and during the first few weeks of travelling between galaxies he finds that he can only get to sleep when he listens to a recording of one of Earth’s oceans pounding against a beach. The rest garnered by this stop-gap measure only ensures that he gets just enough energy to make it through the day and little else. He also misses -oh God, how he misses- the feel of a warm body lying next to him on the bed, the comforting weight of his beloved wife a calming and reliable presence throughout the night. His nightmares have returned; he often wakes to find his sheets soaked with sweat from the horrendously vivid images produced by his not-so-idle mind.
The horrifying scenes of his loved ones being fed on by Wraith as he’s forced to watch blur with those of Atlantis burning, her glory being eradicated by hungry flames. It’s only the realization that he’s safe in his bed when he jolts awake, breathing rapid and shallow, that calms his frayed nerves. He runs a shaking hand through his hair, staring unseeing at the wall across from his bed. This most recent nightmare- Running and calling through the empty and echoing halls of Atlantis, finding only the withered remains of the dead wherever he looks- is one of the worst in recent memory. It takes a while for his breathing to slow to somewhere approaching normal, though the after-effects of the adrenaline coursing through his blood keeps the shivers going for a few seconds longer before slowly fading away.
Nate glances over at the alarm clock and sighs softly. Four in the morning. Well, at least it’s better than the last few days; he’s routinely been awakened at two or even earlier by the nightmare landscapes, which edges him even closer towards true irritability than normal. He pushes the blankets back and gets up, the thin carpet that meets his feet barely holding back the seemingly always-present chill radiated by the metal floors of the Daedalus. The flickering blue-purple of hyperspace seeps through the cracks around the makeshift curtain -comprised of a bed-sheet held up with magnets- reaffirming the fact that he truly is not in recognizable space anymore. It doesn’t bother him as much as it used to- at least, not since he put the curtain up- but it’s still mildly disconcerting.
Since he’s up, and it’s doubtful that he’ll be able to get back to sleep, Nate gets dressed in his work uniform and heads down to the Mess, thinking that perhaps some food would help soothe his nerves. The deep rhuum-rhuum of the engines resonate almost subconsciously as he walks the near-empty halls, sounding like the far-off heartbeat of a slumbering giant. The ship’s scheduled to arrive at Atlantis at 1900 AST, and there’s supposed to be a week-long layover while Hermiod does some very complicated recalibrations to the hyperdrive. It’s both a blessing and a curse in that while the Daedalus’ crew will get some much-needed down time, there’s not much for them to do to help the Atlantis staff, since most of the crew have more than enough counterparts among the members of the Expedition.
The food helps some, but not much, so Nate debates between going back to his quarters and going to his post. Eventually, his post wins out, so he takes over for Captain Latimer and settles into his daily routine, anxiously awaiting the time when the Daedalus will drop out of hyperspace and arrive at Lantea. Time passes, though he would give anything to make it go quicker, and the announcement that they’re dropping out of hyperspace comes just as Nate’s finishing his daily shower. He grins as he dries off his hair, quickly changing into a clean uniform and throwing enough changes of clothes and uniforms into a duffle bag to last him the week. When he finishes with that and has his luggage all ready to go, he makes his way to the cargo bay where most of the other off-duty crewmembers are waiting, most with their own luggage sitting by their feet as they wait for the Daedalus to land.
Once the confirmation of their landing sounds out over the intercoms, Nate helps get the few crates that hold items either too volatile or fragile to beam down to the storerooms of Atlantis out onto the pier before taking his leave. He pauses at a secluded balcony, letting the fresh sea air flow over him, taking the cares of the day with it as it blows past. It’s one of the most refreshing things he’s experienced in a while, and it soothes his soul just that much more. He’s always loved the sea; it’s been a constant presence in his life from the time of his birth onwards. His hometown in Western Washington has a small public beach that he and his brothers used to go to when they still lived at home, and though it’s been a few years since he’s been back there, Nate knows that it’ll always be a part of him.
After a few minutes of contemplation, he picks up his duffle bag and resumes his trek into the inner hallways of Atlantis, the subconscious hum and chime of the Ancient city’s technology singing in the back of his mind. He arrives at his and Brooks’ quarters around ten minutes later, and runs his hand over the door crystals. They’re still keyed to him, so the door slides open and he enters the room, the familiar surroundings proving to be a calming tonic. All that’s missing is the presence of his wife, and that’s soon remedied by Brooks’ arrival some five minutes after he calls her on the radio to tell her he’s home. Their reunion is a joyful one, as it always seems to be after these long intervals without one another, and they quickly settle into their not-so-long-ago routines with very little trouble.
Yes, it may only last for a short time, but Nate knows that the sea -and the woman- he misses so much during the long days he’s away will sink even further into the very bones of his existence, and never let him go. He’s perfectly fine with that. And if his nightmares are forced back to the hellish planes from which they sprang, he won’t say anything. They’ll just be washed away on the renewing sea breeze, and all will be well.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.