"Screaming on the Inside" by Terrie01 (Swimming challenge)
Title: Screaming on the Inside
Author: terrie01
Warnings: Um, I guess you could see this through the slash lenses, but I wrote it as gen. (Honest).
Summary: McKay has had a bad, bad day.
Mission protocols stated that he was supposed to go to the infirmary, but instead, McKay found his feet carrying him back to his quarters. The door slid shut behind him, and he slumped to the floor, his eyes drifting shut. He couldn’t decide if everything hurt or if his whole body had gone numb. He did know that he couldn’t seem to get enough air into his lungs.
The blood was starting to dry and flake, and he couldn’t decide if it was worse than the stickiness that came before or the sudden, warm slickness that came before that. His stomach once again rebelled, and he rolled over onto his hands and knees, retching and choking until his sides ache with the effort. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to eat again.
He needed to get clean. The blood was probably the least of it. He pulled his shirt off, struggling not to let the material touch his skin any more than necessary. He made his way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. He stumbled only when he tried to get his pants and boots off at the same time.
One of the things McKay loved about Atlantis was that there was always hot water. He took advantage of that now, turning the water up so high that it nearly pounded him to the ground. The water was stained pink coming off his body. He leaned against the wall, resting his forehead against his arm.
Within minutes, the air was hot and steamy, but it did nothing for the tightness in his chest. His knees buckled under him, and between the water and his tears, he thought he might drown.
***
Sheppard moved as quickly as he could without actually running. McKay had never made it to the infirmary, but something told Sheppard not to create a panic about that. He’d checked McKay’s lab - the man practically lived there - and now, his quarters. If McKay wasn’t there, then Sheppard would start a panic, but not until.
There was no one present as Sheppard knocked on McKay’s door. “McKay? Are you in there?”
There was no answer, and Sheppard knocked again, louder this time. “McKay, answer me, damn it!”
Still no answer and Sheppard took a moment to think, before leaning close to the door. “Rodney! Open the door, or I’m overriding your lock.”
When the door didn’t open, Sheppard unlocked it, thankful for his ATA gene and the responsiveness of Atlantis. It was clear he’d found McKay. His clothes were scattered across the floor, and the bathroom door was open, steam escaping into the bedroom. Sheppard called out, “McKay? Rodney!”
McKay was crouched in the shower, his skin reddened by the heat of the water, but he was shaking. Sheppard shook his shoulder. “Rodney, look at me.”
When he got no response, Sheppard got on his radio. “Beckett, this is Sheppard. Tell me you’re free.”
“I’m setting Lt. Ford’s arm, Major.”
“Hand it off to someone else and get to McKay’s quarters immediately. We’ve got a problem.”
“Major, what -?”
“Just do it, doctor.”
Sheppard pulled his radio out of his ear and place it on a bathroom shelf. He shut the water off and tried to get Rodney out of the shower. He couldn’t get any leverage, and, when he stepped into the shower, Rodney latched onto his legs, sending him crashing to the floor. The impact sent a jarring pain up his spine. He reached down to place a hand on the top of Rodney’s head. His fingers came away coated in grime. Sheppard looked down at his hand and then turned the water back on, ignoring the way it soaked his clothes. “Jeez. Let’s get you clean, okay, Rodney?”
He couldn’t reach the shampoo, so he worked his fingers through Rodney’s hair, loosening the filth that was caked there. Finally, he heard the outside door open and close.
“Major?”
“We’re in here.”
Beckett appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. “You’re soaked, Major.”
“I’ll dry. We need to get him clean.”
Beckett washed Rodney’s hair, while Sheppard shielded Rodney’s eyes from the soap. Rodney kept turning his face to bury it against Sheppard’s chest. When they were able to shut of the water, Sheppard disengaged Rodney’s arms from around his waist and wrapped the other man in a towel. “Here, take him.”
Beckett carefully dried Rodney off, while Sheppard stripped off his sodden clothes and wrapped a towel around his own waist. Once Rodney was mostly dry, Beckett wrapped the towel around Rodney’s waist and said, “I need you to hold him, Major, while I get him something to help him sleep.”
Sheppard took hold of Rodney’s arms, and Beckett shook his head. “No, hold him tight, your chest to his back.”
“Why?”
“Hugging is found in every human culture and some primate species. Torso-to-torso contact is hardwired into us at a genetic level. It’ll help ground him, help keep him calm.”
Sheppard wrapped his arms around Rodney’s torso, underneath his armpits to help keep him upright. “Hurry, would you? He’s heavy.”
“I’ve got it.” Beckett grabbed Rodney’s jaw, to get him a small amount of liquid. Rodney jerked his head away and mumbled something neither of them could understand “Let’s get him on the bed.”
Sheppard tried to wrestle Rodney onto the bed, but now Rodney had a tight hold of one of his arms and whimpered when Sheppard tried to get free. He was forced to lie down next to the other man. He was a bit embarrassed until Beckett lay down on Rodney’s other side, reaching across to place a hand on Sheppard’s shoulder. “We’ll stay here, let him know he’s not alone until he falls asleep.”
Sheppard nodded, as Rodney buried his face against Beckett’s neck. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I think so. He just needs time for his mind to heal. Rodney’s not trained for this sort of thing, like you and Ford. He’s been pushed into this faster than he could handle. But he’s strong. He’ll be fine, given time.” Beckett rubbed Rodney’s shoulder and made shushing noises. “Hush, hush. Don’t fight it, Rodney. Just let go.”
Sheppard could see the tears staining Beckett’s shirt, and he hugged Rodney tighter, helplessly echoing Beckett’s words.
ETA: The mods have requested I remove the sequel. I have done so. It, along with this story, will be posted to atlantis_fanfic and beckett_mckay, once this challenge is done.
Author: terrie01
Warnings: Um, I guess you could see this through the slash lenses, but I wrote it as gen. (Honest).
Summary: McKay has had a bad, bad day.
Mission protocols stated that he was supposed to go to the infirmary, but instead, McKay found his feet carrying him back to his quarters. The door slid shut behind him, and he slumped to the floor, his eyes drifting shut. He couldn’t decide if everything hurt or if his whole body had gone numb. He did know that he couldn’t seem to get enough air into his lungs.
The blood was starting to dry and flake, and he couldn’t decide if it was worse than the stickiness that came before or the sudden, warm slickness that came before that. His stomach once again rebelled, and he rolled over onto his hands and knees, retching and choking until his sides ache with the effort. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to eat again.
He needed to get clean. The blood was probably the least of it. He pulled his shirt off, struggling not to let the material touch his skin any more than necessary. He made his way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. He stumbled only when he tried to get his pants and boots off at the same time.
One of the things McKay loved about Atlantis was that there was always hot water. He took advantage of that now, turning the water up so high that it nearly pounded him to the ground. The water was stained pink coming off his body. He leaned against the wall, resting his forehead against his arm.
Within minutes, the air was hot and steamy, but it did nothing for the tightness in his chest. His knees buckled under him, and between the water and his tears, he thought he might drown.
***
Sheppard moved as quickly as he could without actually running. McKay had never made it to the infirmary, but something told Sheppard not to create a panic about that. He’d checked McKay’s lab - the man practically lived there - and now, his quarters. If McKay wasn’t there, then Sheppard would start a panic, but not until.
There was no one present as Sheppard knocked on McKay’s door. “McKay? Are you in there?”
There was no answer, and Sheppard knocked again, louder this time. “McKay, answer me, damn it!”
Still no answer and Sheppard took a moment to think, before leaning close to the door. “Rodney! Open the door, or I’m overriding your lock.”
When the door didn’t open, Sheppard unlocked it, thankful for his ATA gene and the responsiveness of Atlantis. It was clear he’d found McKay. His clothes were scattered across the floor, and the bathroom door was open, steam escaping into the bedroom. Sheppard called out, “McKay? Rodney!”
McKay was crouched in the shower, his skin reddened by the heat of the water, but he was shaking. Sheppard shook his shoulder. “Rodney, look at me.”
When he got no response, Sheppard got on his radio. “Beckett, this is Sheppard. Tell me you’re free.”
“I’m setting Lt. Ford’s arm, Major.”
“Hand it off to someone else and get to McKay’s quarters immediately. We’ve got a problem.”
“Major, what -?”
“Just do it, doctor.”
Sheppard pulled his radio out of his ear and place it on a bathroom shelf. He shut the water off and tried to get Rodney out of the shower. He couldn’t get any leverage, and, when he stepped into the shower, Rodney latched onto his legs, sending him crashing to the floor. The impact sent a jarring pain up his spine. He reached down to place a hand on the top of Rodney’s head. His fingers came away coated in grime. Sheppard looked down at his hand and then turned the water back on, ignoring the way it soaked his clothes. “Jeez. Let’s get you clean, okay, Rodney?”
He couldn’t reach the shampoo, so he worked his fingers through Rodney’s hair, loosening the filth that was caked there. Finally, he heard the outside door open and close.
“Major?”
“We’re in here.”
Beckett appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. “You’re soaked, Major.”
“I’ll dry. We need to get him clean.”
Beckett washed Rodney’s hair, while Sheppard shielded Rodney’s eyes from the soap. Rodney kept turning his face to bury it against Sheppard’s chest. When they were able to shut of the water, Sheppard disengaged Rodney’s arms from around his waist and wrapped the other man in a towel. “Here, take him.”
Beckett carefully dried Rodney off, while Sheppard stripped off his sodden clothes and wrapped a towel around his own waist. Once Rodney was mostly dry, Beckett wrapped the towel around Rodney’s waist and said, “I need you to hold him, Major, while I get him something to help him sleep.”
Sheppard took hold of Rodney’s arms, and Beckett shook his head. “No, hold him tight, your chest to his back.”
“Why?”
“Hugging is found in every human culture and some primate species. Torso-to-torso contact is hardwired into us at a genetic level. It’ll help ground him, help keep him calm.”
Sheppard wrapped his arms around Rodney’s torso, underneath his armpits to help keep him upright. “Hurry, would you? He’s heavy.”
“I’ve got it.” Beckett grabbed Rodney’s jaw, to get him a small amount of liquid. Rodney jerked his head away and mumbled something neither of them could understand “Let’s get him on the bed.”
Sheppard tried to wrestle Rodney onto the bed, but now Rodney had a tight hold of one of his arms and whimpered when Sheppard tried to get free. He was forced to lie down next to the other man. He was a bit embarrassed until Beckett lay down on Rodney’s other side, reaching across to place a hand on Sheppard’s shoulder. “We’ll stay here, let him know he’s not alone until he falls asleep.”
Sheppard nodded, as Rodney buried his face against Beckett’s neck. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I think so. He just needs time for his mind to heal. Rodney’s not trained for this sort of thing, like you and Ford. He’s been pushed into this faster than he could handle. But he’s strong. He’ll be fine, given time.” Beckett rubbed Rodney’s shoulder and made shushing noises. “Hush, hush. Don’t fight it, Rodney. Just let go.”
Sheppard could see the tears staining Beckett’s shirt, and he hugged Rodney tighter, helplessly echoing Beckett’s words.
ETA: The mods have requested I remove the sequel. I have done so. It, along with this story, will be posted to atlantis_fanfic and beckett_mckay, once this challenge is done.