Dream a Little Dream
Title: Dream a Little Dream
Author: Les
Rating: R-NC-17
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay, Sheppard/McKay/Beckett
Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were but then it would have to come off SciFi and go back to Showtime (wicked grin)
A/N: Written for Jo who chose prompt # 3. Enjoy! All mistakes are mine as no one beta’ed this beforehand.
Rodney could feel the touches of skin against skin, the warmth of breath against his body and he opened his eyes, breathing raggedly as he did so. He was pressed against the wall, hands held above his head. He felt sensations running through him like electricity. He saw dark hair and hazel eyes meet his own and then he heard the whisper of a voice against his ear saying, “Trust me, Rodney. Close your eyes and just let go…” And Rodney closed his eyes and did just that…
When he opened his eyes again, the touches had grown more insistent, turning him into the wall now, his chest pressed against it, his hands let loose so he could hold himself there. Other hands whispered across his back and sides and down along his legs and back up across his stomach and his chest… touching him everywhere except where he most wanted to be touched. He looked over his shoulder and this time it was blue eyes that met his and the soft whisper of the Highlands that told him “Relax, Rodney, we’re here for you…” And Rodney closed his eyes and did just that.
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They had been exploring a new world, but then again, that’s what they always did, wasn’t it? Explored new worlds, hoping to find allies in their fight against the Wraith, hoping to find people willing to trade with them as time went on. This planet, though, seemed different, almost like Earth itself. The technology, Rodney explained, was just about late twentieth century standards and so John and Elizabeth offered to help the people advance themselves more quickly if they would, in turn, trade with them as far as harvests and medical supplies went. The people agreed, all to easily in John’s opinion, but Elizabeth had been too happy to see the truth right before her own eyes…
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The next time Rodney opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed, which felt as if the sheets were silk but he didn’t care. Blue and hazel eyes watched him from either side, fingers grazing his skin, his hair, mouths being pressed to his own mouth and again to lower parts of his body. Hands gripping more tightly to his arms, his legs and when he tried to reciprocate, hazel eyes met his own and Rodney caught the warning in them even as the harsh whisper caught him again… “Just let us do this, let us save you…”
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Celebrating had turned into fighting, which, in turn, had led to running for the gate full out. Ronon had taken the lead with Teyla behind him. Lorne and his team ran on as well while John brought up the rear, pushing Rodney ahead of him, yelling at him to move. Rodney turned back and saw the shot before John. Rodney reached out and grabbed John by the arm, throwing him forward and away from danger. John caught himself and looked back as Rodney stopped short and fell to his knees.
“John…” he said, his face a mask of confusion for a brief moment before John saw the blood seeping through the jacket and vest. “Go…” Rodney said again before he fell to the side. John looked behind Rodney’s fallen form to see more natives rushing towards them. Behind him, he could hear Lorne yelling at him, but John wasn’t leaving Rodney behind. He raised the P90 and began firing. From behind him, he heard Lorne and others approaching, joining in the firefight. John turned to Lorne.
“Grab McKay!” Lorne looked around and saw Rodney lying very still on the ground. He moved towards him and grabbed him by the vest, hauling him up and over his shoulder. He started heading back into the woods as John and the others held off the natives.
At the gate, Teyla dialed the address and the gate came to life. Teyla went through first in order to warn Carson that there were injuries. Ronon, John and Lorne’s team kept firing until Lorne was safely through the gate with Rodney. Lorne’s team went next then Ronon and finally John.
Inside Atlantis, confusion and chaos were the order of the day. Carson and his medical team had just arrived when John stepped through the gate. He’d never seen Rodney so quiet, so still or so pale. He raised his gaze to meet Carson’s and he knew it wasn’t good…
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Rodney felt pressure and heat and warmth and opened his eyes again. He was still on the bed but the warmth at his back was the warmth of a body, holding him and there was the warmth and weight between his legs and he looked up to find hazel eyes meeting his, looking down at him, leaning forward, pushing into him and Rodney cried out, but not in pain. Behind him, the body pressed closer and arms wrapped around him. He looked over his shoulder and blue eyes met him as a mouth covered his own. He cried out again as he was pushed into and this time, when he raised his hands, he wasn’t stopped. He felt the warmth of skin beneath his touch, heard the moans from above him and from behind him. It was all so good… so right… He felt a hand wrap around him, stroking him until his breathing was ragged and hoarse and his moans joined theirs…
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“I’m losing him! Get a crash cart in here!” John watched in terror as the machines began screaming in long sounds, not the blips associated with beeping hearts and normal sinus rhythms. They were going to lose him. John felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to find Ronon standing next to him. John turned back in time to see Carson shocking Rodney’s heart back into working once more.
“Charge to 250,” Carson said before shocking Rodney once more. They waited a moment, but there was nothing. “Charge to 300.” John wrapped his arms around himself and watched as Carson shocked Rodney again and again, nothing happened. “Charge to 350 and push in another dose of epi.” Carson shocked Rodney a fourth time and waited. There was a soft beep, followed slowly by another and Carson wrapped his fingers around Rodney’s wrist. “Pulse is coming back up slowly,” he said softly before turning his gaze to John’s and nodding once. He turned back to his staff. “Let’s get him into surgery…”
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He felt warmth from both sides and it was a challenge to open his eyes and find one body wrapped around him from the front and felt a second body wrapped around him from behind. He sighed in contentment and saw hazel eyes open to meet his own. There was fear in those eyes and more love than Rodney had ever seen before. He felt fingers grazing the side of his face softly and saw unshed tears. Rodney frowned slightly, not sure what was going on.
“What…” he whispered softly before the fingers grazed across his lips.
“Sleep, Rodney,” came the soft reply. “Everything can wait until later…” Rodney nodded slowly and closed his eyes once more. He felt a soft kiss against his lips and one at the back of his neck and he knew what it meant to feel safe, to feel… he opened his eyes again, meeting hazel ones once more.
“So was I dreaming or did it really happen?” There was a soft smile followed by another whispered command to sleep so Rodney closed his eyes and did just that.
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Carson walked out into the waiting room and found John sitting there with Ronon, waiting for him, waiting for anything. John stood and Carson looked at him, his gaze never wavering.
“We almost lost him two more times in the operating room, but we’re done, the bullets are both out and he’s in a drug induced coma for now. The next forty-eight hours will be the deciding factor, John.” John nodded slowly and Ronon took his leave. Before Ronon got out of the room good, Carson pulled John into his arms and held him tightly. John returned the embrace, holding on just as tightly.
“I kept hoping it was all a dream, Carson… that we’d all wake up and still be in bed…sleeping…” Carson nodded and pulled back, brushing a lock of hair from John’s face.
“Aye, luv, I know what you mean. But he’ll pull through. He always does.” John nodded and Carson led him back to where Rodney lay, so still and quiet, so many tubes and wires running in and out and around his body. Carson pulled up two chairs, and sat John down in one and himself in the other.
“Rodney, we’re here. Whenever you wake, we’re here…”
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Rodney opened his eyes, blinking past the sleep and the pain and turned his head to the side to find John asleep in the chair and Carson standing nearby, looking over his chart. Rodney flexed his hand a little, hitting the sidebar on his bed and catching Carson’s attention. Carson turned and walked over, touching John on the shoulder briefly as he did so. John opened his eyes and came out of his chair rather quickly, seeing Rodney watching them both.
“Rodney,” John breathed in relief as Carson checked Rodney’s pulse. “You had us worried there, love.” Rodney frowned and looked between the two of them.
“You’ve got a tube in you to help you breathe, lad. I’ll get it out in just a moment and then you’ll be able to talk all you want, all right?” Rodney nodded once, but the frown was still there. John sighed softly.
“You were shot, Rodney,” John whispered and Rodney saw the fear in his hazel eyes. “We’ve been waiting for you to wake up now for three weeks.” Carson walked around to the other side of the room for a moment and John bent his head closer, brushing a soft kiss against Rodney’s forehead. “Don’t you ever do that again, Rodney McKay-Sheppard.” Rodney nodded softly and John squeezed his hand. Carson came back over and smiled at them both.
“Let’s get that tube out, shall we?” Rodney nodded as Carson sat him up a little. “When I say, I want you to take a deep breath and then cough while I remove the tube. Okay?” Rodney nodded and grasped at John’s hand. “Deep breath.” Rodney breathed in deeply. “And cough.” Rodney coughed as Carson slowly pulled the tube from his throat. Once the tube was out, Rodney seemed to relax a little more as Carson left the room with the tube and John held out a cup of ice chips to him.
“This might help a little,” he said quietly. Rodney looked up at him and took the offered ice, letting it sit in his mouth a moment then swallowing carefully.
“I was… dreaming,” he whispered. John smiled softly.
“I hope it was good,” he answered. Rodney smiled up at him and nodded.
“Something I wouldn’t mind having happen for real one of these days.” His gaze turned towards the door where Carson stood talking quietly with a nurse. John followed his gaze then looked back at his husband.
“It did, Rodney,” he whispered softly. “The morning before you were shot. You don’t remember?” Rodney looked up at John and frowned for a moment.
“I thought it was a dream…” Carson walked over then and stood next to John, looking down at Rodney as well.
“You thought what was a dream, lad?” Rodney sighed softly and John turned to Carson.
“That morning before he was shot. He doesn’t remember.” Carson nodded slowly.
“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to remind him once he’s better.” John smiled and looked back down at Rodney.
“Get some rest, love,” he said softly. “You’ll need it.” Rodney smiled and closed his eyes. He could dream for now and then relive the reality of it once he woke. John looked over at Carson and gave him a slight smile as well.
“Told you it would work,” Carson said with a slight smirk before walking out of the room. John kissed Rodney on the forehead and followed him out.
“Good thing I was the one who found it then…”
At the beginning of the third week after Rodney had been shot, John had been scouting the city. Carson had kicked him out of the infirmary, telling him to get some rest and to eat before returning. They were running out of options. Rodney still hadn’t woken up and Carson was beginning to think he never would.
John had found a small lab at the tip of the Northern pier. Inside he’d found various items that made absolutely no sense to him at all. And then he’d found a locked metal box. Curious as ever, John opened the box and found various VR equipment inside. With a smile and a plan, he closed the box and took it with him to the infirmary.
“I know how to make Rodney wake up,” John had said…
“A reminder of that morning?” Carson had asked.
“Yes,” John had answered…
And so Rodney dreamed of memories he didn’t realize he still had and he woke to the knowledge that, in some cases, dreams really could come true…