Second Chances, by Ellex42
Title: Second Chances
Author: ellex42
An alternate version of the beginning scene of 4x19 "The Kindred, part 2" - therefore, SPOILER ALERT!
Word count: 618
Rated: PG, no pairing
A/N: Spell-checked but not beta'd. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes.
OMG, I actually managed to write something! Hooray!
"This is weird," Ronon muttered, gazing at the man in the isolation room surrounded by doctors in haz-mat suits.
Sheppard nodded, leaning on the handrail. "You're sure he's not a Replicator?" he asked McKay.
"No, our scans would have picked it up right away." Rodney stood a few steps back from the glass, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Then who the hell is he?"
"How should I know?" Rodney snapped. "I'm even more freaked out about this than you are."
Ronon raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that."
"Look, McKay, would you talk to him?" Sheppard asked. "I think he might feel more comfortable -
"No."
The flat response made Sheppard and Ronon turn to stare at the scientist. He moved toward the glass, arms folded across his chest, staring down at the man in the isolation room below.
"Rodney?" John asked quietly.
"That's not Carson." He turned to meet their astonished gazes. "Don't look at me like that. I can think of half a dozen different explanations for that - that person we brought back. Parallel universe, alternate timeline, clone...but they all boil down to the same thing: that man might be a Carson Beckett, but there is no possible way that he is our Carson Beckett." He glared at them. "And I have no intention of - of..." He broke off, heaved in a shaky breath, and continued, "I will not sully the memory of my friend by accepting a - a replacement. No matter how tempting it might be."
"McKay's right," Ronon announced. "He looks like Carson, but he isn't. We shouldn't trust him."
John nodded slowly. "Okay. I understand. But I'm not asking you to accept him wholesale as Carson Beckett. He may be some kind of plant, a double agent, for all we know. But I would like you to talk to him. You knew Carson best - you'll be better equipped to spot any...differences."
McKay looked at him unhappily, his mouth turning down at the corner. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I just - I don't think I can. I - " He made a vague gesture towards the man in the room below, then shook his head and turned away.
"Rodney," Sheppard called.
The scientist paused, but didn't turn around.
"He might be able to help us find Teyla. Or have important information about this new strain of the Hoffan virus."
"I know that, you don't think I know that?" Rodney spun around. "But that's not - and I can't - "
John took two long strides to reach McKay, who flinched - but John just put his hands on Rodney's shoulders, gripping lightly. "I know, Rodney. I know. But you heard him, the things he said on the way back - I don't think he knows he's not our Carson. And that's why we need you to talk to him. Carson trusts - trusted you. He'd expect to see you, and he'd open up to you. And if this guy really thinks he's Carson Beckett..."
"Okay!" Rodney shouted suddenly, jerking away from Sheppard's grasp. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll talk to him," he continued sullenly. "If Keller says it's safe, I'll talk to him. But you owe me. And I absolutely will not accept him as the real Carson Beckett."
"I wouldn't ask you to, Rodney," John answered, trying for a soothing tone of voice.
Only partially mollified, McKay rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how patronizing you sound when you do that?" he muttered.
Keller appeared in the doorway, distracting them. "Well, we've completed the preliminary exam," she announced.
"And?" Ronon asked.
"And, every scan we've run confirms it," she told them. "That man down there is Doctor Carson Beckett."
fade to black, cue opening credits
Author: ellex42
An alternate version of the beginning scene of 4x19 "The Kindred, part 2" - therefore, SPOILER ALERT!
Word count: 618
Rated: PG, no pairing
A/N: Spell-checked but not beta'd. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes.
OMG, I actually managed to write something! Hooray!
"This is weird," Ronon muttered, gazing at the man in the isolation room surrounded by doctors in haz-mat suits.
Sheppard nodded, leaning on the handrail. "You're sure he's not a Replicator?" he asked McKay.
"No, our scans would have picked it up right away." Rodney stood a few steps back from the glass, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Then who the hell is he?"
"How should I know?" Rodney snapped. "I'm even more freaked out about this than you are."
Ronon raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that."
"Look, McKay, would you talk to him?" Sheppard asked. "I think he might feel more comfortable -
"No."
The flat response made Sheppard and Ronon turn to stare at the scientist. He moved toward the glass, arms folded across his chest, staring down at the man in the isolation room below.
"Rodney?" John asked quietly.
"That's not Carson." He turned to meet their astonished gazes. "Don't look at me like that. I can think of half a dozen different explanations for that - that person we brought back. Parallel universe, alternate timeline, clone...but they all boil down to the same thing: that man might be a Carson Beckett, but there is no possible way that he is our Carson Beckett." He glared at them. "And I have no intention of - of..." He broke off, heaved in a shaky breath, and continued, "I will not sully the memory of my friend by accepting a - a replacement. No matter how tempting it might be."
"McKay's right," Ronon announced. "He looks like Carson, but he isn't. We shouldn't trust him."
John nodded slowly. "Okay. I understand. But I'm not asking you to accept him wholesale as Carson Beckett. He may be some kind of plant, a double agent, for all we know. But I would like you to talk to him. You knew Carson best - you'll be better equipped to spot any...differences."
McKay looked at him unhappily, his mouth turning down at the corner. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I just - I don't think I can. I - " He made a vague gesture towards the man in the room below, then shook his head and turned away.
"Rodney," Sheppard called.
The scientist paused, but didn't turn around.
"He might be able to help us find Teyla. Or have important information about this new strain of the Hoffan virus."
"I know that, you don't think I know that?" Rodney spun around. "But that's not - and I can't - "
John took two long strides to reach McKay, who flinched - but John just put his hands on Rodney's shoulders, gripping lightly. "I know, Rodney. I know. But you heard him, the things he said on the way back - I don't think he knows he's not our Carson. And that's why we need you to talk to him. Carson trusts - trusted you. He'd expect to see you, and he'd open up to you. And if this guy really thinks he's Carson Beckett..."
"Okay!" Rodney shouted suddenly, jerking away from Sheppard's grasp. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll talk to him," he continued sullenly. "If Keller says it's safe, I'll talk to him. But you owe me. And I absolutely will not accept him as the real Carson Beckett."
"I wouldn't ask you to, Rodney," John answered, trying for a soothing tone of voice.
Only partially mollified, McKay rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how patronizing you sound when you do that?" he muttered.
Keller appeared in the doorway, distracting them. "Well, we've completed the preliminary exam," she announced.
"And?" Ronon asked.
"And, every scan we've run confirms it," she told them. "That man down there is Doctor Carson Beckett."
fade to black, cue opening credits