SGA - Modifications
Title: Modifications
Genre: SGA, Gen
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Things have changed.
Spoilers: Takes place immediately following “The Queen”.
Author's Notes: For the sg_prompts prompt "Consequences".
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to people with far more money. I'm just borrowing them and making no profit from this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Teyla attempted to smile as John walked away, but knew he saw through it. He was a good friend and would let her have the space she supposedly needed, supposedly wanted, while her body recovered from one of the few missions that would ever give her nightmares.
She had been a Wraith. She had been that which she hated most, that which she fought and swore to continue fighting until her dying breath. She had walked through their hive, seen hidden corners no prisoner would ever be privy to, smelled the stench of death and hunger and pretended it did not make her want to vomit, pretended her life was not at risk with every breath she took.
Her skin still ached from the modifications and she swore she saw a different face than her own staring back at her whenever she looked in the mirror. Jennifer told her it would fade with time and soon it would be nothing more than a horrific memory. It was recommended that she speak to the new psychologist that had replaced her dear friend Kate, but she feared to do that would bring up memories of a different kind. She could talk to Halling and her people and they would nod and say the right things, but she doubted that they would truly understand her choice.
She leaned back against the pillows with a sigh. She doubted anyone, 'Lantean or Athosian, would understand her choice as she barely understood it herself. She had thought she would manipulate and control the Wraith but, once again, she had been the one manipulated. Todd had used her. He took a horrific happenstance of her childhood and made her embrace it with excruciating detail.
Somewhere deep within, she smiled though. After all of his careful planning, manipulations and games, she was the one who claimed victory in the end. She was his Queen. He had declared it and even helped her reinforce the fact. He had killed another so she could rule that Hive as well. She had led them both into battle, and claimed victory for both her Hives and herself. Most importantly, in the end, the Hives had sworn themselves to her. She ruled. Her word was law. Todd could play his games and pretend to be in charge, but in truth even he would have to bow to her whims or face the consequences from far more than even his most elaborate scheming could take on.
That was but one of the lingering issues the Wraith, with all of his planning, had failed to take into consideration. The other was... more personal.
She had been on that ship for far longer than originally planned. She had no supplies as it would have been a clear indication to the others that she was not who she appeared to be. Thankfully, the Wraith had water supplies for bathing and cleaning that were easy enough to sneak a drink from. Food, nourishment, that was another matter all together.
The dizziness had taken her by surprise, until she realized how long she had been playing her part in this sham. Todd had covered for her, stating she needed to feed and having a prisoner brought to her private quarters. He, of course, had done the feeding, thankfully out of her view. He had returned and offered her the gift of life. She had refused. He had been... persistent, and shoved his hand towards her heart, filling her with energy and life and power.
That had been his first mistake.
Leaving her with the not quite fully deceased body to go make his rounds had been his second. The force of life was flowing through her and she was giddy with its power; that was the logical explanation, and the only one she was willing to acknowledge. Curious, she fit her smaller hand over the bloody marks Todd had left on his victim, the supposedly false feeding hand feeling the last few drops of life that remained. She pushed forward, watching in awe as the desiccated corpse seemed to slowly, fitfully, return to some semblance of life. The rush of even that was too much though, and she lost herself in the sensations, seeing, smelling, feeling the energy, the lifeblood, the power.
When she came back to herself, only the shriveled body remained, quite thoroughly dead. She had thought it was a dream, perhaps a vision gifted to her by Todd meant to haunt her nightmares.
Until it happened again.
Thrice more, in total. Each one felt, no, tasted, different than the last. Given the way Todd looked at her when he returned the final time, she suspected he had his suspicions, but there was never any proof, only supposition that he dare not bring to the light of day.
Now, sitting in her neat little bed in the infirmary, the stench of death replaced with that of antiseptic cleanliness, she felt an ache in her body that could not be explained solely by her healing wounds. She looked down at her hand; the one that her enemies used to take life, and occasionally give it as necessary, feeling the stretch and pull as she flexed it, reached for something that was no longer there.
The soft pad of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Jennifer making her rounds, checking her readings and marking them down in neat little notes. “Something wrong?” the doctor asked.
With a smile that did not quite meet her eyes, and an eagerness she could not admit even to herself, she replied, “Just a bit hungry, that's all.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Feedback is always welcome.
Genre: SGA, Gen
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Things have changed.
Spoilers: Takes place immediately following “The Queen”.
Author's Notes: For the sg_prompts prompt "Consequences".
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to people with far more money. I'm just borrowing them and making no profit from this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Teyla attempted to smile as John walked away, but knew he saw through it. He was a good friend and would let her have the space she supposedly needed, supposedly wanted, while her body recovered from one of the few missions that would ever give her nightmares.
She had been a Wraith. She had been that which she hated most, that which she fought and swore to continue fighting until her dying breath. She had walked through their hive, seen hidden corners no prisoner would ever be privy to, smelled the stench of death and hunger and pretended it did not make her want to vomit, pretended her life was not at risk with every breath she took.
Her skin still ached from the modifications and she swore she saw a different face than her own staring back at her whenever she looked in the mirror. Jennifer told her it would fade with time and soon it would be nothing more than a horrific memory. It was recommended that she speak to the new psychologist that had replaced her dear friend Kate, but she feared to do that would bring up memories of a different kind. She could talk to Halling and her people and they would nod and say the right things, but she doubted that they would truly understand her choice.
She leaned back against the pillows with a sigh. She doubted anyone, 'Lantean or Athosian, would understand her choice as she barely understood it herself. She had thought she would manipulate and control the Wraith but, once again, she had been the one manipulated. Todd had used her. He took a horrific happenstance of her childhood and made her embrace it with excruciating detail.
Somewhere deep within, she smiled though. After all of his careful planning, manipulations and games, she was the one who claimed victory in the end. She was his Queen. He had declared it and even helped her reinforce the fact. He had killed another so she could rule that Hive as well. She had led them both into battle, and claimed victory for both her Hives and herself. Most importantly, in the end, the Hives had sworn themselves to her. She ruled. Her word was law. Todd could play his games and pretend to be in charge, but in truth even he would have to bow to her whims or face the consequences from far more than even his most elaborate scheming could take on.
That was but one of the lingering issues the Wraith, with all of his planning, had failed to take into consideration. The other was... more personal.
She had been on that ship for far longer than originally planned. She had no supplies as it would have been a clear indication to the others that she was not who she appeared to be. Thankfully, the Wraith had water supplies for bathing and cleaning that were easy enough to sneak a drink from. Food, nourishment, that was another matter all together.
The dizziness had taken her by surprise, until she realized how long she had been playing her part in this sham. Todd had covered for her, stating she needed to feed and having a prisoner brought to her private quarters. He, of course, had done the feeding, thankfully out of her view. He had returned and offered her the gift of life. She had refused. He had been... persistent, and shoved his hand towards her heart, filling her with energy and life and power.
That had been his first mistake.
Leaving her with the not quite fully deceased body to go make his rounds had been his second. The force of life was flowing through her and she was giddy with its power; that was the logical explanation, and the only one she was willing to acknowledge. Curious, she fit her smaller hand over the bloody marks Todd had left on his victim, the supposedly false feeding hand feeling the last few drops of life that remained. She pushed forward, watching in awe as the desiccated corpse seemed to slowly, fitfully, return to some semblance of life. The rush of even that was too much though, and she lost herself in the sensations, seeing, smelling, feeling the energy, the lifeblood, the power.
When she came back to herself, only the shriveled body remained, quite thoroughly dead. She had thought it was a dream, perhaps a vision gifted to her by Todd meant to haunt her nightmares.
Until it happened again.
Thrice more, in total. Each one felt, no, tasted, different than the last. Given the way Todd looked at her when he returned the final time, she suspected he had his suspicions, but there was never any proof, only supposition that he dare not bring to the light of day.
Now, sitting in her neat little bed in the infirmary, the stench of death replaced with that of antiseptic cleanliness, she felt an ache in her body that could not be explained solely by her healing wounds. She looked down at her hand; the one that her enemies used to take life, and occasionally give it as necessary, feeling the stretch and pull as she flexed it, reached for something that was no longer there.
The soft pad of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Jennifer making her rounds, checking her readings and marking them down in neat little notes. “Something wrong?” the doctor asked.
With a smile that did not quite meet her eyes, and an eagerness she could not admit even to herself, she replied, “Just a bit hungry, that's all.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Feedback is always welcome.