Fic: Torment 18/21
Title: Torment
Author: chokolaj
Rating: T
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: The title sums it up pretty well. Shep whump!
--//--
Green spikes and dips scrolled across the screen in perfect rhythm. They reminded Dr. Keller of something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It sent a chill sweeping across her skin.
She glanced to the patient lying still in the bed beside her. She was assigned to him, but she just couldn’t take on the responsibility of another person’s life right now. It scared her to the point of an episode just half an hour earlier where she found she could no longer breathe. Diagnoses and treatments raced through her fading mind as she struggled for air. Halfway to the floor, she realized that whatever had happened way down below in the bowels of Atlantis was still affecting her. And not just her: Sheppard and the others, too.
Whatever crept in the depths had found a connection that was too tantalizing to pass up.
Shivering, Dr. Keller closed her eyes briefly, whispering words of encouragement to herself. When she opened her eyes, she started in surprise.
Like the active green on the monitor, Sheppard’s hazel eyes shifted from left to right in rapid succession.
“REM?” Dr. Keller muttered, and her brow furrowed. She reached for her penlight and checked the colonel’s pupil reactions. They were moving so quickly she could hardly note a change, if any.
“Any change?” Rodney’s hopeful voice carried through the infirmary. Stilling herself from another jump of surprise, Dr. Keller turned towards the approaching doctor. His face morphed into one of concern as he focused on the sudden change in the colonel.
“He’s dreaming?”
“I’m not exactly sure.” Dr. Keller responded, her voice quiet, her expression full of doubt. She focused on the scientist, capturing his full attention. “I believe that somehow, we are still being affected by those…worms.”
Rodney simply stared at her with eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly ajar.
No words came spilling out, however. Instead, he couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of hell Sheppard was still trapped within. A shade of compassion fell across his face before he quickly pulled up an overconfident smile.
“I’ll fix this.”
“How?”
“I…I just…trust me. I’ll fix this.” Rodney stare was intense before he turned and left, his mind already drifting to the task at hand.
Teyla arrived just as her teammate was leaving, giving Dr. Keller a half smile as Rodney brushed past her, barely glancing up and muttering a quick greeting.
“Still no change?” She placed a hand upon Sheppard’s and looked to Dr. Keller for confirmation.
“He’s in a deep sleep…dreaming even…or so I think.” Dr. Keller frowned, chewing on her bottom lip.
“His eyes…” Teyla frowned in turn. Dr. Keller nodded.
“He’s still being affected. I think we all are.” She turned to face Teyla. “Whatever happened down there isn’t over. We’re still in danger. I don’t know how or why but we have to stop this.”
“I agree.” Teyla nodded.
“Maybe it has to do with whatever traps the Ancients had set up down there.” Ronon’s voice startled both women as they spun around to see the Runner approach.
“Why do you say that?” Teyla narrowed her eyes in question.
“This isn’t exactly natural - what’s going on. My bet is on whatever the Ancients did. You ask me, those worms are an experiment gone wrong. A trap that backfired.”
“It makes sense.” Dr. Keller agreed.
“But how do we reverse the affects?” Teyla prompted. “Colonel Sheppard cannot possibly last much longer.”
“His body is already showing signs of fatigue and strain. If he experiences a particularly violent episode, he could die.” Dr. Keller confirmed.
And as if on cue, the heart monitor began to speed up. Sheppard’s breathing grew increasingly ragged, his eyes bulging and his muscles tensing. Teyla grabbed his hand, feeling the surprising strength as Sheppard squeezed her hand. He did not yet seem aware of them, however.
As Dr. Keller rushed to stabilize her patient, joined quickly by a nurse, Ronon and Teyla backed away to give them room. They looked at each other with heavy somber.
Sheppard gasped for air as a nurse lowered an ampu-bag over his mouth. As she began to pump air in rhythm, his eyes slid shut.
And then the heart monitor flat-lined.
--tbc-
I’m sorry if this is confusing or boring or whatever…I’m jumping back into things after a long break and I finally have a new computer! (Yay!) So I will try to finish this as soon as I can. :)
Author: chokolaj
Rating: T
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: The title sums it up pretty well. Shep whump!
--//--
Green spikes and dips scrolled across the screen in perfect rhythm. They reminded Dr. Keller of something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It sent a chill sweeping across her skin.
She glanced to the patient lying still in the bed beside her. She was assigned to him, but she just couldn’t take on the responsibility of another person’s life right now. It scared her to the point of an episode just half an hour earlier where she found she could no longer breathe. Diagnoses and treatments raced through her fading mind as she struggled for air. Halfway to the floor, she realized that whatever had happened way down below in the bowels of Atlantis was still affecting her. And not just her: Sheppard and the others, too.
Whatever crept in the depths had found a connection that was too tantalizing to pass up.
Shivering, Dr. Keller closed her eyes briefly, whispering words of encouragement to herself. When she opened her eyes, she started in surprise.
Like the active green on the monitor, Sheppard’s hazel eyes shifted from left to right in rapid succession.
“REM?” Dr. Keller muttered, and her brow furrowed. She reached for her penlight and checked the colonel’s pupil reactions. They were moving so quickly she could hardly note a change, if any.
“Any change?” Rodney’s hopeful voice carried through the infirmary. Stilling herself from another jump of surprise, Dr. Keller turned towards the approaching doctor. His face morphed into one of concern as he focused on the sudden change in the colonel.
“He’s dreaming?”
“I’m not exactly sure.” Dr. Keller responded, her voice quiet, her expression full of doubt. She focused on the scientist, capturing his full attention. “I believe that somehow, we are still being affected by those…worms.”
Rodney simply stared at her with eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly ajar.
No words came spilling out, however. Instead, he couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of hell Sheppard was still trapped within. A shade of compassion fell across his face before he quickly pulled up an overconfident smile.
“I’ll fix this.”
“How?”
“I…I just…trust me. I’ll fix this.” Rodney stare was intense before he turned and left, his mind already drifting to the task at hand.
Teyla arrived just as her teammate was leaving, giving Dr. Keller a half smile as Rodney brushed past her, barely glancing up and muttering a quick greeting.
“Still no change?” She placed a hand upon Sheppard’s and looked to Dr. Keller for confirmation.
“He’s in a deep sleep…dreaming even…or so I think.” Dr. Keller frowned, chewing on her bottom lip.
“His eyes…” Teyla frowned in turn. Dr. Keller nodded.
“He’s still being affected. I think we all are.” She turned to face Teyla. “Whatever happened down there isn’t over. We’re still in danger. I don’t know how or why but we have to stop this.”
“I agree.” Teyla nodded.
“Maybe it has to do with whatever traps the Ancients had set up down there.” Ronon’s voice startled both women as they spun around to see the Runner approach.
“Why do you say that?” Teyla narrowed her eyes in question.
“This isn’t exactly natural - what’s going on. My bet is on whatever the Ancients did. You ask me, those worms are an experiment gone wrong. A trap that backfired.”
“It makes sense.” Dr. Keller agreed.
“But how do we reverse the affects?” Teyla prompted. “Colonel Sheppard cannot possibly last much longer.”
“His body is already showing signs of fatigue and strain. If he experiences a particularly violent episode, he could die.” Dr. Keller confirmed.
And as if on cue, the heart monitor began to speed up. Sheppard’s breathing grew increasingly ragged, his eyes bulging and his muscles tensing. Teyla grabbed his hand, feeling the surprising strength as Sheppard squeezed her hand. He did not yet seem aware of them, however.
As Dr. Keller rushed to stabilize her patient, joined quickly by a nurse, Ronon and Teyla backed away to give them room. They looked at each other with heavy somber.
Sheppard gasped for air as a nurse lowered an ampu-bag over his mouth. As she began to pump air in rhythm, his eyes slid shut.
And then the heart monitor flat-lined.
--tbc-
I’m sorry if this is confusing or boring or whatever…I’m jumping back into things after a long break and I finally have a new computer! (Yay!) So I will try to finish this as soon as I can. :)