The Bribe - scene
“No Rodney!”
“But Carson…”
“No, Rodney. Listen to me, please.”
“But I…”
“Everything OK Doctor?”
Both friends turned quickly to see one of the soldiers posted to guard the infirmary come into Carson’s lab, ready to intervene.
“Everything is fine, thanks,” Carson gave the easiest smile he could, under the circumstances.
“Shall I take him away, sir?” The marine nodded in Rodney’s direction and Rodney took a step backwards and bowed his head, as he remembered who he was and, more importantly, what.
“No, thanks! He’s under my supervision at the moment. You could get a-hold of Major Sheppard, though. I left my radio in my office.”
The marine smiled, crisis averted.
“I’ll do that then, Doc.”
Carson breathed a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding, and put a hand on Rodney’s shoulder.
“You’ve got to be more careful.”
Rodney nodded, ruefully. “I forgot.” He looked up at his friend and his face was a picture of misery. “I’ve been spoiled, Carson. I’ve got you and I can get away with all kinds of things with the Major and Dr Zelenka is amazing. He really doesn’t seem to care that I’m a slave. But I really want this. If I could only manipulate the Ancient stuff myself, I could do almost anything!”
“I’m sorry, Rodney. I’d use you in an instant if you were free, but… I have no idea if it’s really safe and…” the doctor lowered his voice. He wasn’t happy to admit this part. “I don’t think I could survive slavery.”
“What?”
“If you… anything happened to you… I’d be enslaved in your place. You know the rules. I can’t do anything unless your master agrees.”
“Is… is that why you called for him?”
“Aye,” Carson’s brows rose in question. “Why? What did you think?”
“I thought… I thought you were going to punish me.”
“You’re obviously not that spoiled,” Carson mused and then, seeing Rodney’s puzzled expression, added. “You don’t seem terribly worried about punishment. Or even about me betraying you.”
“You have no choice. If you hadn’t reassured that marine, I’d have been dragged straight to the punishment room.”
“You’re not… worried?”
“It’s pain. I can live without it,” Rodney shrugged, but he didn’t raise his eyes.
“What’s up Doc?”
They both turned to see Sheppard emerging from the corridor.
“Aye, that’s gets funnier every time, Major,” Carson rolled his eyes and John grinned.
“So? What’s up?” John leaned against the counter. “Rodney? Have you been upsetting nurses again?”
“No!”
“He wants the gene therapy,” Carson explained.
“You’ve got it working?”
“I think so. It’s nothing like FDA approved and I could be struck off for even suggesting this, but Rodney wants to try it.”
“How safe is it?”
“It hasn’t killed off any blood cells yet and the gene seems to just slot itself into the genome. It’s just that it doesn’t behave like any genetic cell structure I’ve seen before. It’s more like a… a computer virus than a recognisable DNA structure.”
“What would normally be the next stage in your research?”
“Well, normally it would be human trials next, but we haven’t any… I refuse to just use slaves. We don’t have any to spare anyway.”
John smiled at this. There were plenty of medical researchers who thought nothing of trying out their potions on life convicts like Rodney had been. Rodney was protected, now, by his status as a personal possession and John suddenly felt a tide of protectiveness wash through him.
John signalled to Rodney, who obeyed and knelt at his Master’s side. He was supposed to do this anyway, according to protocol, but, whereas before it would have been a chilling humiliation, now it was pure pleasure. His Master’s hand rested affectionately on his hair and Rodney sighed happily.
“Would it harm him?”
“I’m about 85% sure that it would be painless and barely noticeable.”
“And the other 15%?”
“Most likely there would be a rash and some flu-like symptoms… and maybe the urge to run in a little wheel and eat cheese.”
“What?”
Carson’s dimples made an appearance as he grinned at his own joke. “Mice seem to possess the gene naturally. It’s all part of the process.”
“It won’t kill him then?”
“No.”
John looked down at Rodney’s beseeching face and nodded. “You promise he won’t be harmed?”
“I promise, John.”
“Thank you Master!”
John tugged his slave to his feet and pushed him in Carson’s direction.
“You’re going to watch?” Carson asked.
“Yeah. I want to see him trying to fit in the cage with the wheel! Should I alert the Mess and check on cheese supplies?”
Carson rolled his eyes again and Rodney just hopped onto the bed and rolled up his sleeves, beaming.
“It might not work,” Carson warned.
“But think if it does…”
It was a disappointingly easy procedure. Just a simple injection that made Rodney say “Ow!” as though the doctor had been particularly brutal.
“Well?” John asked. “Just squeak once for yes and twice for no.”
“I don’t feel any different.”
“Well, you won’t,” Carson explained. “It’ll have to take effect first. You have a whole DNA structure to rewrite. Why don’t the two of you go and sit quietly somewhere for a couple of hours?”
“How will we know?” John asked.
“Just touch something,” Carson shrugged. “Go and ask Radek if he has any gizmos you can practice on. But leave it at least 2 hours.”
“Come on then!” John beamed. “Let’s go and take some time off!”
“I’ll need to go get a ‘gizmo’ first,” Rodney made air quotes.
“OK. Lab then quarters, but I’m coming with you to make sure you don’t get stuck into some work.”
“Yes Master,” Rodney sighed as though put upon, but he was grinning too widely to pull it off properly.
Yay! There's a book 3 link now! Here!