TEAM TIME: bury the hatchet, "Another Day in The Neighborhood"
Title: Another Day in The Neighborhood
Author: spikespet7
Team: Time
Prompt: bury the hatchet
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG
Word count: ~3,300
Warnings: None
Summary: Post Trinity Tag but several episodes have passed. John has recovered from his buggy experience. Revenge comes to Atlantis.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the prompt in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
He hurt all over, but now was not the time to let pain distract him from what he had to do. If he wanted to live, he had to stop the next explosion, but time was not on his side. The headache and dizziness were not helping his ability to concentrate. Nor was the fact he was fighting the urge to panic.
Rodney reached up and wiped his forehead only to find blood mixed with the sweat. He felt his heart skip a beat and fought off the urge to vomit and go on a nervous tangent. The bleeding should have stopped by now or slowed down.
"I can't die with everyone thinking I did this," Rodney muttered trying to shake off the dizziness that seemed to be getting worse. "I have to do what John would do or expect me to do."
If he failed to fix this, people would think he was responsible for another death. It would be hard to defend himself or ask for forgiveness for not preventing the explosion that put him in this predicament if he died. He made it a point not to say he was sorry unless pushed to do so, or because he truly felt the need to apologize.
Doranda was one of the times he found himself needing to say he was sorry. Today was not one of those days.
Rodney activated his com link, trying again to get Sheppard to answer. "Colonel, can you hear me? Please answer me. If you can hear me, you have to get everyone out of the cave and as far away from here as possible. I'm trying to prevent the third console from overloading. But in case I fail, you need to get out of the cave."
When the first explosion had gone off 2 hours ago, the first thing Sheppard yelled was, "McKay! What the hell did you do this time?"
The disbelief in the man's voice had cut like a knife. Rodney had tried to deny that he had anything to do with it. Before he could explain what had really happened it was too late. When the second explosion happened, Rodney had found out why and who had sabotaged their mission. It also cut any further communication with the rest of his team.
Rodney woke up lying on his side. He hurt all over and got up slowly hoping something was not broken or that he would find out he was dead and that there really was a Hell. The smell was one he was familiar with since hanging out with Air Force and Marines. C4 had a smell all its own. He heard movement off to his left and hoped it was Dr. Joni and not the person who had set the bombs.
"I used too much C4 on this one." Dr. Joni was lying on the ground, looking at him with a smile that Rodney thought belonged to a deranged psychopath. "Still managed to miss the main target I was ordered to eliminate."
"Main target?" Rodney squeaked.
"You… Dr. McKay."
"Me…why me?" Rodney asked, while at the same time noticing how Joni was fighting to stay awake. There was no blood other than the trickle oozing from the small cut above her right eye.
"You killed my Mark."
"It was an accident. We didn't know that would happen." Rodney wondered how this woman was able to get to Atlantis. Someone should have known she and Collins were an item.
"I heard you ordered him to his death."
"We didn't know-"
"I want you dead and disgraced," Joni growled as she tried to sit up, only to fall back and grab her chest. "God, my chest hurts."
"Collins died doing his job." Rodney defended himself as sat up and brushed off the loose rocks and dirt. "We risk our lives everyday here or back on Earth doing our job."
"That's not what I'm hearing. You're a bastard."
His head hurt and the warmth on his face told Rodney that he was bleeding from somewhere. The glow from the third console showed him how bad the cave-in was. The thought of someone buried alive or dead was too much to think about right now. Rodney made himself get up. The third console had to hold the answer on how to get out of here. It made no sense not to have an escape route in case something like this happened.
Now the countdown was on. If he could not stop the surge of power in the third console, the next explosion would take out the cave and anyone in it. It was why he had to fix it, and warn Sheppard to get everyone to safety. The Colonel would never leave them behind, which meant they were on the other side of the cave-in, trying to rescue them.
Rodney looked over at Joni, who had been too quiet. He was afraid to see if she was still alive. She was alive when he started working on the console, and when the power surge started, all he could do was pray she was still alive once he fixed it.
Taking one last look, Rodney noticed how pale she was. He walked over to get a better look. Joni did not flinch or respond when he leaned down to gently shake her. Rodney knew he was not a medical doctor to know if she was faking being unconscious, but he needed to work on the console.
Rodney turned back to his task. He had to beat this because he had to make things right between him and John. If they could not bury the hatchet then maybe it was time to rethink his position on the team. All he had to do was find the damage caused from the previous explosion and fix it.
*******
John worked with Ronon to clear the debris so they could get McKay and Dr. Joni out. He was not going to give up on finding them alive. Then he was going to drag Rodney back to Atlantis and lock him in his lab.
When the first explosion had gone off 2 hours ago the first thing he had yelled was, "McKay! What the hell did you do this time?"
John now regretted those words. They were not the last words he wanted to share with the man. Then the second explosion happened and all contact with Rodney was lost. Teyla had run immediately to get help and he wished they had brought the Jumper instead of walking here.
Ronon continued to dig in the dirt and stone as he said, "Teyla will be fast."
"She can run like the wind," John replied.
It was hard not to think of what could be waiting for them on the other side. He could see Rodney unconscious, bleeding, and trapped under the rocks. Then there was the image of the man gasping for breath because the oxygen ran out.
"McKay's not dead."
"If he is, I'll have Carson bring him back so I can kill him again."
"Carson won't let you."
"You know how to take the fun out of reviving the scientist so you can kill him again."
John lost time as they continued to dig. Having the time to think, he realized he knew nothing about Dr. Joni. Something about her seemed off. Rodney was not happy that she was coming with them instead of Dr. Covert. Dr. C had suddenly come down with a case of the flu or he had eaten something that did not agree with him.
"What do you think about Dr. Joni?" John asked. Ronon was good at getting a read on people.
"She's weird."
"Weird in what way?" John grinned.
"She mumbles a lot about anti something and hell."
"Anti-Christ?"
"She calls McKay that."
"He's bad with people but not so much being on the dark side."
"Do you think he did this?"
"Hell, I don't know but my gut is telling me no."
John thought about some of the religious fanatics he read about, and the desperate acts they pulled in the past. It started him thinking that Rodney had nothing to do with this explosion. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something else or someone else was behind this.
*******
Rodney sat down with relief once the humming stopped. He finally found the crystal that was damaged and it would seem removing it had stopped the power surge. There was still enough power for him to do a quick search for an alternative exit.
"Ah ha, there you are!" Rodney crowed when he pulled up the schematics of the installation and found another way out.
"We will get out of here and then you'll have to explain what you did," Rodney growled in triumph when he looked over at Joni. "I won't be blamed for this mess and just think if there was information that could've helped us to defeat the Wraith then shame on you for…well…letting an accident get personal."
Joni showed no response. Taking a closer look, he could see that her breathing was shallow. There was nothing he could do for her medically; that was Carson's forte.
Rodney moved over to where the hidden exit was supposed to be. It took a few stressful minutes before he found the lever. Holding his breath, he pushed the rock-like button. Hearing and seeing the opening appear allowed him to relax and start to breathe easily.
It was going to be hard to maneuver his way alone. Carrying Joni and a flashlight was going to be hard, and he knew it would be beyond what he could do. It would be prudent to go alone and then send back help. What would it do for either of them if he failed getting them out because he overextended himself trying to get them both out? Yes, the Colonel would never leave someone behind, but technically Rodney was not leaving her behind. He was going to get help.
Rodney walked over and kneeled beside her. "I will send Conan back to carry you out. I'm not even sure I'll be able to get out myself. They're digging us out, and in case I don't make it, they will find you. So it's a win-win for you."
When he stood up a wave of dizziness almost made him fall. The thought of tight dark places almost made him sit down beside Joni and wait for their rescue. The thought that the others would not get here in time gave him the incentive to grab the flashlight and move toward the door.
"There had better not be any vampire bats or other things that can kill me," Rodney muttered as he turned on the flashlight and walked through the door.
*******
John looked at his watch and realized that Teyla had been gone for about 3 hours. By his estimate, help should be showing up anytime. They had been digging, only taking a break to drink something or relieving themselves.
"Help will be here soon." John said it because he needed to hear the words. Hearing them made it feel real and believable.
Ronon did nothing more than grunt and nod. The man understood that John was saying what they both needed to hear. The number of rocks they had already removed made a nice big pile behind them. It made no difference in what they had yet to move.
"Colonel...Conan!"
John looked at Ronon and they both looked around to see McKay standing, more like swaying in the wind, on the overhang to their left. So much blood on the man's face only enhanced the paleness of the man's skin.
They broke into a run just as McKay looked like he was going to fall over the edge. Ronon climbed faster and made it just before the man toppled. John had no way of knowing if Rodney was suffering from a head injury or low blood sugar. The blood sugar was easy to fix. The head injury could be a concussion or something more serious.
"Hey, buddy! When was the last time you ate?" John asked once he made it up next to Rodney.
"Joni's still there, couldn't carry her and walk…I mean she's too heavy…needed to…the entrance is right there." Rodney pointed over to where the opening to the passageway lay. "She's hurt bad."
"On it," Ronon replied, as he handed McKay literally over to John.
"Not feeling so good," Rodney muttered just before he passed out in John's arms.
"Dam it, Rodney…buddy…don't you do this to me," John whispered as he assisted the man down to the ground.
"Colonel Sheppard, this is Lieutenant Nasar, do you copy?"
"Copy loud and clear and it's about time you joined the party."
"Two minutes out."
"Is Carson with you?" John knew they would send medical personnel, but it would be nice to hear Carson's voice.
"Aye, Colonel, I have two medical teams," Carson replied.
"Rodney passed out with a head injury and Ronon went to get Joni." John gave him the scoop. "Not sure about the extent of Joni's injuries."
"You should see our approach," Nasar informed him.
"Copy that." John could see the two Jumpers draw near and turned back to make sure that Rodney was still breathing. "Help is on the way, buddy."
Epilogue
His head hurt and his mouth felt and tasted like a desert, only because it felt like he had a bucket of sand in his mouth. The soft beeping in the background assured him he was alive and in Carson's care. The lighting was dim enough he could slowly open his eyes. Even the low lighting increased the pain in his head.
The room swirled around him, but not as bad as before he passed out. Rodney groaned at the memory of falling into John's arms. Leave it to him to give the Colonel and the Barbarian something more that they could use against him in the future.
"Hey, you okay?" John asked
Rodney slowly turned his head as far as he could without embarrassing himself further by vomiting on the other man's shoes. The tight look of worry on John's face made him wonder if his condition was worse.
"Am I going to die?" Rodney asked as he heard the beeping increase.
"No, you're not going to die," John replied at the same time he gave Rodney's hand a quick squeeze. "But if you don't relax, Carson will come and give you a shot."
"A shot? Why a shot…I don't see why--" Rodney's rant was cut short by the brief kiss.
"Relax, you're going to be fine." John's hand cupped his cheek gently. "You have a concussion and you're going to feel like shit."
"I feel like I was run over by a…wait…Joni…she tried to kill me because--" Another quick kiss interrupted his attempt to clear his name.
"Rest, you can tell us about it later," John assured him. "I'm sorry I said what I did, and I know you're not responsible."
"No, I can see why you did. Doranda!"
"Rest, Rodney, I'm not going anywhere." John gave him that smile that only Rodney had seen in private.
"So we're good?" Rodney asked, wondering if John was ready to let him back into his life as more than a teammate again.
"We're more than good. I'm locking you in your lab."
"Then I'm locking you in your office." Rodney snorted before he realized they were basically in a public place. "Are we alone?"
"I think we can negotiate a more comfortable location for locking." John leaned down, placing his forehead gently against his. "We're alone. We're safe."
That was all he needed to know to continue this private conversation. "Together?"
"Your place or mine?" John winked.
Rodney sighed when his lover leaned down and gently kissed the bandage covering the scalp wound and said, "When life tosses you lemons you make lemonade."
"You are evil." Rodney was relieved they were getting back to their usual banter.
"Kettle black, McKay, kettle black." John sat in the chair with an easy grin to his face that had been missing since the incident that put a rift in their relationship.
Rodney felt the call of sleep as he whispered, "I've missed you."
He could have sworn that John had replied, saying he missed him too, before he lost the battle with the exhaustion.
*******
John sat watching his lover sleep. The weight he had been carrying since the time he had almost lost him was lighter now. He knew now what to look for and what to do in order to keep Rodney safe. Not to close him off and push him away.
"You're stuck with me, McKay!" John smiled at the thought of the future arguments they would have.
John knew that one day he could lose Rodney to death. Then again, Rodney one day could lose him. In the meantime, they would go on doing the best they could to keep them from happening.
"You should go get some rest."
He looked up at Carson and shook his head. "I promised I would be here."
"You're both idiots." Carson's understanding smile took the bite out of the words. "The others would have to make him leave when you were under the weather."
"Bug time was so not fun."
"Ronon sat outside his door and Teyla would make him eat."
"That bad?" John never heard this before.
"He cares for you, Colonel. Dr. Sakes just finished surgery on Dr. Joni. She's not doing well. The first 24 hours will be critical."
"Can we stabilize her long enough to get her through the gate?"
"Gate travel could actually kill her."
John fought the urge to send her through for what she had done to Rodney. "I guess we wait and see."
"She will be closely observed."
"I will work up the charges against her and have Dr. Weir sign off on them."
"As soon as she is stable enough to move, I will let you know."
"Let me know who comes to visit."
"I'll get you a cup of coffee and something to eat." Carson turned and left, not waiting for a reply.
Ronon would be here soon to relieve him and then he would go get a few hours of sleep. Zelenka found the connection between Dr. Collins and Dr. Joni. Radek also assured them that she was working alone. She had been a loner since coming to Atlantis. No one at the SGC even knew they were engaged. The only reason they knew was finding the announcement next to a picture of her and Collins beside her bed.
John settled in watching McKay sleep. This time tomorrow night, they would be in Rodney's bed. There was no way the man would be up for anything other than sleep, but John was okay with that. He'd had enough head injuries to know it could take a few days to a couple of weeks to feel close to normal.
"Your thinking is making my headache worse," Rodney grumbled.
"Fine, thinking off, now go back to sleep before Carson comes back in and gives you something."
"I could use something about now."
"Then it's a good thing I'm here," Carson said as he handed John his coffee and turkey sandwich.
"My hero." Rodney's sarcasm made John grin. Everything was fine for another day as he watched Carson give Rodney something through the IV that made the injured man smile in relief. "Give the Colonel some too so he won't wake me up with his brain."
**
Poll
Author: spikespet7
Team: Time
Prompt: bury the hatchet
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG
Word count: ~3,300
Warnings: None
Summary: Post Trinity Tag but several episodes have passed. John has recovered from his buggy experience. Revenge comes to Atlantis.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the prompt in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
He hurt all over, but now was not the time to let pain distract him from what he had to do. If he wanted to live, he had to stop the next explosion, but time was not on his side. The headache and dizziness were not helping his ability to concentrate. Nor was the fact he was fighting the urge to panic.
Rodney reached up and wiped his forehead only to find blood mixed with the sweat. He felt his heart skip a beat and fought off the urge to vomit and go on a nervous tangent. The bleeding should have stopped by now or slowed down.
"I can't die with everyone thinking I did this," Rodney muttered trying to shake off the dizziness that seemed to be getting worse. "I have to do what John would do or expect me to do."
If he failed to fix this, people would think he was responsible for another death. It would be hard to defend himself or ask for forgiveness for not preventing the explosion that put him in this predicament if he died. He made it a point not to say he was sorry unless pushed to do so, or because he truly felt the need to apologize.
Doranda was one of the times he found himself needing to say he was sorry. Today was not one of those days.
Rodney activated his com link, trying again to get Sheppard to answer. "Colonel, can you hear me? Please answer me. If you can hear me, you have to get everyone out of the cave and as far away from here as possible. I'm trying to prevent the third console from overloading. But in case I fail, you need to get out of the cave."
When the first explosion had gone off 2 hours ago, the first thing Sheppard yelled was, "McKay! What the hell did you do this time?"
The disbelief in the man's voice had cut like a knife. Rodney had tried to deny that he had anything to do with it. Before he could explain what had really happened it was too late. When the second explosion happened, Rodney had found out why and who had sabotaged their mission. It also cut any further communication with the rest of his team.
Rodney woke up lying on his side. He hurt all over and got up slowly hoping something was not broken or that he would find out he was dead and that there really was a Hell. The smell was one he was familiar with since hanging out with Air Force and Marines. C4 had a smell all its own. He heard movement off to his left and hoped it was Dr. Joni and not the person who had set the bombs.
"I used too much C4 on this one." Dr. Joni was lying on the ground, looking at him with a smile that Rodney thought belonged to a deranged psychopath. "Still managed to miss the main target I was ordered to eliminate."
"Main target?" Rodney squeaked.
"You… Dr. McKay."
"Me…why me?" Rodney asked, while at the same time noticing how Joni was fighting to stay awake. There was no blood other than the trickle oozing from the small cut above her right eye.
"You killed my Mark."
"It was an accident. We didn't know that would happen." Rodney wondered how this woman was able to get to Atlantis. Someone should have known she and Collins were an item.
"I heard you ordered him to his death."
"We didn't know-"
"I want you dead and disgraced," Joni growled as she tried to sit up, only to fall back and grab her chest. "God, my chest hurts."
"Collins died doing his job." Rodney defended himself as sat up and brushed off the loose rocks and dirt. "We risk our lives everyday here or back on Earth doing our job."
"That's not what I'm hearing. You're a bastard."
His head hurt and the warmth on his face told Rodney that he was bleeding from somewhere. The glow from the third console showed him how bad the cave-in was. The thought of someone buried alive or dead was too much to think about right now. Rodney made himself get up. The third console had to hold the answer on how to get out of here. It made no sense not to have an escape route in case something like this happened.
Now the countdown was on. If he could not stop the surge of power in the third console, the next explosion would take out the cave and anyone in it. It was why he had to fix it, and warn Sheppard to get everyone to safety. The Colonel would never leave them behind, which meant they were on the other side of the cave-in, trying to rescue them.
Rodney looked over at Joni, who had been too quiet. He was afraid to see if she was still alive. She was alive when he started working on the console, and when the power surge started, all he could do was pray she was still alive once he fixed it.
Taking one last look, Rodney noticed how pale she was. He walked over to get a better look. Joni did not flinch or respond when he leaned down to gently shake her. Rodney knew he was not a medical doctor to know if she was faking being unconscious, but he needed to work on the console.
Rodney turned back to his task. He had to beat this because he had to make things right between him and John. If they could not bury the hatchet then maybe it was time to rethink his position on the team. All he had to do was find the damage caused from the previous explosion and fix it.
*******
John worked with Ronon to clear the debris so they could get McKay and Dr. Joni out. He was not going to give up on finding them alive. Then he was going to drag Rodney back to Atlantis and lock him in his lab.
When the first explosion had gone off 2 hours ago the first thing he had yelled was, "McKay! What the hell did you do this time?"
John now regretted those words. They were not the last words he wanted to share with the man. Then the second explosion happened and all contact with Rodney was lost. Teyla had run immediately to get help and he wished they had brought the Jumper instead of walking here.
Ronon continued to dig in the dirt and stone as he said, "Teyla will be fast."
"She can run like the wind," John replied.
It was hard not to think of what could be waiting for them on the other side. He could see Rodney unconscious, bleeding, and trapped under the rocks. Then there was the image of the man gasping for breath because the oxygen ran out.
"McKay's not dead."
"If he is, I'll have Carson bring him back so I can kill him again."
"Carson won't let you."
"You know how to take the fun out of reviving the scientist so you can kill him again."
John lost time as they continued to dig. Having the time to think, he realized he knew nothing about Dr. Joni. Something about her seemed off. Rodney was not happy that she was coming with them instead of Dr. Covert. Dr. C had suddenly come down with a case of the flu or he had eaten something that did not agree with him.
"What do you think about Dr. Joni?" John asked. Ronon was good at getting a read on people.
"She's weird."
"Weird in what way?" John grinned.
"She mumbles a lot about anti something and hell."
"Anti-Christ?"
"She calls McKay that."
"He's bad with people but not so much being on the dark side."
"Do you think he did this?"
"Hell, I don't know but my gut is telling me no."
John thought about some of the religious fanatics he read about, and the desperate acts they pulled in the past. It started him thinking that Rodney had nothing to do with this explosion. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something else or someone else was behind this.
*******
Rodney sat down with relief once the humming stopped. He finally found the crystal that was damaged and it would seem removing it had stopped the power surge. There was still enough power for him to do a quick search for an alternative exit.
"Ah ha, there you are!" Rodney crowed when he pulled up the schematics of the installation and found another way out.
"We will get out of here and then you'll have to explain what you did," Rodney growled in triumph when he looked over at Joni. "I won't be blamed for this mess and just think if there was information that could've helped us to defeat the Wraith then shame on you for…well…letting an accident get personal."
Joni showed no response. Taking a closer look, he could see that her breathing was shallow. There was nothing he could do for her medically; that was Carson's forte.
Rodney moved over to where the hidden exit was supposed to be. It took a few stressful minutes before he found the lever. Holding his breath, he pushed the rock-like button. Hearing and seeing the opening appear allowed him to relax and start to breathe easily.
It was going to be hard to maneuver his way alone. Carrying Joni and a flashlight was going to be hard, and he knew it would be beyond what he could do. It would be prudent to go alone and then send back help. What would it do for either of them if he failed getting them out because he overextended himself trying to get them both out? Yes, the Colonel would never leave someone behind, but technically Rodney was not leaving her behind. He was going to get help.
Rodney walked over and kneeled beside her. "I will send Conan back to carry you out. I'm not even sure I'll be able to get out myself. They're digging us out, and in case I don't make it, they will find you. So it's a win-win for you."
When he stood up a wave of dizziness almost made him fall. The thought of tight dark places almost made him sit down beside Joni and wait for their rescue. The thought that the others would not get here in time gave him the incentive to grab the flashlight and move toward the door.
"There had better not be any vampire bats or other things that can kill me," Rodney muttered as he turned on the flashlight and walked through the door.
*******
John looked at his watch and realized that Teyla had been gone for about 3 hours. By his estimate, help should be showing up anytime. They had been digging, only taking a break to drink something or relieving themselves.
"Help will be here soon." John said it because he needed to hear the words. Hearing them made it feel real and believable.
Ronon did nothing more than grunt and nod. The man understood that John was saying what they both needed to hear. The number of rocks they had already removed made a nice big pile behind them. It made no difference in what they had yet to move.
"Colonel...Conan!"
John looked at Ronon and they both looked around to see McKay standing, more like swaying in the wind, on the overhang to their left. So much blood on the man's face only enhanced the paleness of the man's skin.
They broke into a run just as McKay looked like he was going to fall over the edge. Ronon climbed faster and made it just before the man toppled. John had no way of knowing if Rodney was suffering from a head injury or low blood sugar. The blood sugar was easy to fix. The head injury could be a concussion or something more serious.
"Hey, buddy! When was the last time you ate?" John asked once he made it up next to Rodney.
"Joni's still there, couldn't carry her and walk…I mean she's too heavy…needed to…the entrance is right there." Rodney pointed over to where the opening to the passageway lay. "She's hurt bad."
"On it," Ronon replied, as he handed McKay literally over to John.
"Not feeling so good," Rodney muttered just before he passed out in John's arms.
"Dam it, Rodney…buddy…don't you do this to me," John whispered as he assisted the man down to the ground.
"Colonel Sheppard, this is Lieutenant Nasar, do you copy?"
"Copy loud and clear and it's about time you joined the party."
"Two minutes out."
"Is Carson with you?" John knew they would send medical personnel, but it would be nice to hear Carson's voice.
"Aye, Colonel, I have two medical teams," Carson replied.
"Rodney passed out with a head injury and Ronon went to get Joni." John gave him the scoop. "Not sure about the extent of Joni's injuries."
"You should see our approach," Nasar informed him.
"Copy that." John could see the two Jumpers draw near and turned back to make sure that Rodney was still breathing. "Help is on the way, buddy."
Epilogue
His head hurt and his mouth felt and tasted like a desert, only because it felt like he had a bucket of sand in his mouth. The soft beeping in the background assured him he was alive and in Carson's care. The lighting was dim enough he could slowly open his eyes. Even the low lighting increased the pain in his head.
The room swirled around him, but not as bad as before he passed out. Rodney groaned at the memory of falling into John's arms. Leave it to him to give the Colonel and the Barbarian something more that they could use against him in the future.
"Hey, you okay?" John asked
Rodney slowly turned his head as far as he could without embarrassing himself further by vomiting on the other man's shoes. The tight look of worry on John's face made him wonder if his condition was worse.
"Am I going to die?" Rodney asked as he heard the beeping increase.
"No, you're not going to die," John replied at the same time he gave Rodney's hand a quick squeeze. "But if you don't relax, Carson will come and give you a shot."
"A shot? Why a shot…I don't see why--" Rodney's rant was cut short by the brief kiss.
"Relax, you're going to be fine." John's hand cupped his cheek gently. "You have a concussion and you're going to feel like shit."
"I feel like I was run over by a…wait…Joni…she tried to kill me because--" Another quick kiss interrupted his attempt to clear his name.
"Rest, you can tell us about it later," John assured him. "I'm sorry I said what I did, and I know you're not responsible."
"No, I can see why you did. Doranda!"
"Rest, Rodney, I'm not going anywhere." John gave him that smile that only Rodney had seen in private.
"So we're good?" Rodney asked, wondering if John was ready to let him back into his life as more than a teammate again.
"We're more than good. I'm locking you in your lab."
"Then I'm locking you in your office." Rodney snorted before he realized they were basically in a public place. "Are we alone?"
"I think we can negotiate a more comfortable location for locking." John leaned down, placing his forehead gently against his. "We're alone. We're safe."
That was all he needed to know to continue this private conversation. "Together?"
"Your place or mine?" John winked.
Rodney sighed when his lover leaned down and gently kissed the bandage covering the scalp wound and said, "When life tosses you lemons you make lemonade."
"You are evil." Rodney was relieved they were getting back to their usual banter.
"Kettle black, McKay, kettle black." John sat in the chair with an easy grin to his face that had been missing since the incident that put a rift in their relationship.
Rodney felt the call of sleep as he whispered, "I've missed you."
He could have sworn that John had replied, saying he missed him too, before he lost the battle with the exhaustion.
*******
John sat watching his lover sleep. The weight he had been carrying since the time he had almost lost him was lighter now. He knew now what to look for and what to do in order to keep Rodney safe. Not to close him off and push him away.
"You're stuck with me, McKay!" John smiled at the thought of the future arguments they would have.
John knew that one day he could lose Rodney to death. Then again, Rodney one day could lose him. In the meantime, they would go on doing the best they could to keep them from happening.
"You should go get some rest."
He looked up at Carson and shook his head. "I promised I would be here."
"You're both idiots." Carson's understanding smile took the bite out of the words. "The others would have to make him leave when you were under the weather."
"Bug time was so not fun."
"Ronon sat outside his door and Teyla would make him eat."
"That bad?" John never heard this before.
"He cares for you, Colonel. Dr. Sakes just finished surgery on Dr. Joni. She's not doing well. The first 24 hours will be critical."
"Can we stabilize her long enough to get her through the gate?"
"Gate travel could actually kill her."
John fought the urge to send her through for what she had done to Rodney. "I guess we wait and see."
"She will be closely observed."
"I will work up the charges against her and have Dr. Weir sign off on them."
"As soon as she is stable enough to move, I will let you know."
"Let me know who comes to visit."
"I'll get you a cup of coffee and something to eat." Carson turned and left, not waiting for a reply.
Ronon would be here soon to relieve him and then he would go get a few hours of sleep. Zelenka found the connection between Dr. Collins and Dr. Joni. Radek also assured them that she was working alone. She had been a loner since coming to Atlantis. No one at the SGC even knew they were engaged. The only reason they knew was finding the announcement next to a picture of her and Collins beside her bed.
John settled in watching McKay sleep. This time tomorrow night, they would be in Rodney's bed. There was no way the man would be up for anything other than sleep, but John was okay with that. He'd had enough head injuries to know it could take a few days to a couple of weeks to feel close to normal.
"Your thinking is making my headache worse," Rodney grumbled.
"Fine, thinking off, now go back to sleep before Carson comes back in and gives you something."
"I could use something about now."
"Then it's a good thing I'm here," Carson said as he handed John his coffee and turkey sandwich.
"My hero." Rodney's sarcasm made John grin. Everything was fine for another day as he watched Carson give Rodney something through the IV that made the injured man smile in relief. "Give the Colonel some too so he won't wake me up with his brain."
**
Poll