Fic: "Torrid Chill" by kyrdwyn [John Sheppard/Carson Beckett, R, Alternate Reality]
1. Allergic Reaction
"All That Matters"-PG
2. Amputation
"Finding Balance"-R
3. Broken Bone
4. Bruises
"Every Quiet Moment"-PG
5. Cancer
"At Any Cost" PG
6. Cold/flu/fever
"Fever" - PG (Sheppard/Beckett UST)
[Sequel to "Lucy",followed by "Match"]
7. Concussion
"Head Trauma and Halos"-R
8. Crushing Injury
9. Drowning
10. Electric Shock
11. Frostbite/hypothermia
"Cold Warmth"-R
12. Heat exhaustion/stroke
"Torrid Chill"-R
Sequel to "Cold Warmth"
13. Infection
"Convergence"- R
14. Minor annoyances - papercut, hangnail,
stubbed toe, motion sickness
15. Neurological disorder - epilepsy, spinal cord
damage, stroke, migraines,
clinical depression...
16. Puncture/Laceration - bullet wounds,
stabbing, impalement
"Slip of the Knife"-PG-13
17. Psychological trauma
"Strength"-PG-13
18. Sensory loss/impairment
19. Skin disorders - boils, pox, rash, poison ivy...
"Making Un-Plans" - PG-13
20. Sleep disorders - sleep dep, narcolepsy,
jet lag, snoring
"Waking Nightmare"-PG
21. Sprained or Strained muscle
22. Surgery (routine) - tonsils, appendix,
plastic surgery
23. Writer's Choice
"Home Treatment" - PG [Burn]
24. Writer's Choice
Title: Torrid Chill
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: R
Pairing: John Sheppard/Carson Beckett
Genre: Alternate Reality
Spoilers: "Rising"
Sequel to: Cold Warmth
Betas: rosewildeirish, thefannishwaldo, distaff_exile,cedara
2dozenowies Prompt: 12. Heat Exhaustion/Stroke
Summary: ""What am I going to do with you, Carson?"
John walked into the infirmary's waiting area to find Dr. Weir, Dr. McKay, Major Lorne, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex waiting for him. They all came to attention and looked at him eagerly. John gave them a tired smile. "He's going to be fine."
Everyone except McKay looked relieved. "Fine? He had heatstroke! He was convulsing! Vomiting! He thought I was his mum for God's sake! Where did you get your medical degree?! Who recruited this witch doctor?!" The last was said to Dr. Weir.
John quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, Dr. Beckett had heatstroke. We've reduced his temperature, and he's sleeping peacefully. We'll keep him for a few days to make sure there's no lingering complications, but I don't anticipate any." John turned to McKay. "I received my medical degree from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. McKay, and did my residency at Vanderbilt. Dr. Beckett recruited me for this project, personally."
"Rodney," Dr. Weir said, "Dr. Sheppard is a valuable addition to the medical staff. I'm sure Dr. Beckett is grateful to have him here."
"He saved Doctor Beckett's life," Lorne pointed out.
"Actually, the first aid Ronon did in the field ensured Dr. Beckett would survive," John said. "Thank you."
Ronon nodded. "Seen it on Sateda a lot. Everyone learns what to do."
"Well, not everyone on Earth learns," John said dryly, glancing toward McKay and Lorne. "I really need to get a proposal together on teaching field medicine to the off-world teams," he added, looking at Dr. Weir.
"I look forward to seeing it," she replied. "Let's let Dr. Sheppard do his job. Keep me informed on Dr. Beckett's condition?" she asked as she herded McKay and the others out of the infirmary.
"Will do, ma'am," John said.
Once they were gone, he walked back to the treatment room where Carson was resting. The monitors beeped softly with his heartbeat and respiration, and John was relieved to see both were normal. The nurses had applied analgesic cream to the few sunburned areas on his face and arms, and the IV drip silently counted down the remaining saline in the bag. From the display, John knew it would be another few hours before they had to change to a new saline bag.
John looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then ran his hand through Carson's hair, his fingers separating the strands before he trailed his fingers down Carson's arm to his wrist. John turned his fingers to find the pulse, feeling it flutter reassuringly against his fingers.
This was twice he'd almost lost Carson to a medical emergency. John didn't want to think about the times he could have lost Carson over the past twenty years and never known it. Knowing what had happened during the expedition's first year in Atlantis was bad enough, especially when added to Carson's bout of hypothermia in Colorado.
"What am I going to do with you, Carson?" John asked softly, letting his fingers grasp Carson's. Carson stirred, and John held tighter for a moment, wanting to see those blue eyes open and reassure John that the man he loved was still among the living.
Carson awoke to feeling a hand stroking through his hair before settling on his wrist, fingers at the pulse point. He could feel the leads and hear the steady sounds of the monitors, but he knew from his own practice that electronics never made up for getting to feel the reassuring beat of a patient's heart.
"What am I going to do with you, Carson?" he heard John ask softly before John's hand took his.
He shifted, opening his eyes, seeing the Atlantis infirmary ceiling before John came into view, one eyebrow slightly quirked. "You know, you didn't make it though the first UCLA football game because of the heat. What made you think you'd be able to deal with that planet?" John asked lightly, but the worry in eyes belied his tone.
"They needed a doctor," Carson replied honestly.
"You're no longer the only trauma practitioner on Atlantis," John reminded him. "And I am cleared for off-world duty."
Carson sighed. "I know. Old habits die hard?" he offered hesitantly. "I'm used to being the one they take off-world."
"Well, you're not going off-world for the next week, at least. I might let you return to your quarters by then." Sitting on the edge of Carson's bed, John leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Carson's. "I don't want to lose you again, Carson."
Carson lifted his free hand and stroked it over John's hair. He gently tugged at John until his head was turned and Carson could kiss him.
Their lips brushed over each other's lightly, feeling their way. It had been twenty years since their last kiss, but when John opened his mouth to sigh, letting Carson's tongue dip in to taste, it seemed as if no time had passed at all.
John pulled away after a few moments, reluctance on his face. "You need rest," he said. "The last thing we need to do is raise your temperature now that we've finally gotten it back to normal."
Carson smiled. "Aye, my body temperature has been sorely abused lately."
Turning serious, John looked down at Carson. "We've become good friends during the past three months, haven't we?"
Carson looked started by the question. "I thought we had," he answered warily.
John leaned down and rubbed his nose against Carson's. "I know I wanted us to become friends before we tried being lovers again. Since we have become friends . . . " he trailed off, delighting in the smile that crossed Carson's face. "When you're released from here," John continued, "maybe we could go on a date?"
"I'd like that," Carson said softly. "If we can actually make it out of my quarters this time," he added.
John chuckled. "Well, I can't guarantee that. You're still pretty damn hot, you know, and I don't mean your core body temp."
Carson blushed. "You've not aged badly yourself."
"I love you," John said suddenly. "I don't think I ever stopped." His fingers twined with Carson's.
"I never stopped loving you, either," Carson admitted, squeezing John's hand. "I guess neither of us were quite ready to admit how we felt twenty years ago. At least not with words."
John shook his head. "Let's not do that again? I don't think I want to go another twenty years without you."
Carson smiled gently. "Aye, love. I'd rather spend the next twenty years with you."
John kissed him then, and it was both a promise and a commitment to their renewed relationship. Carson kissed him back with the same feelings. The road hadn't been easy, but they'd needed the time apart to make them stronger. With their bond able to survive that much time apart, Carson was certain that he and John would spend the next twenty years together, and more.
That knowledge caused a flare of warmth that had nothing to do with heat stroke, and everything to do with love.