Gemini: Flipside Chapter Four
oOoOoOo
Once again, Brendan woke in the infirmary to the sound of McKay killing his keyboard. This time, at least, he felt much better. Stretching slowly, Brendan took a deep breath. “Wow. I feel like I've slept for days.”
Blinking in surprise, Rodney looked up. “Carson! He's awake!”
“Jeez, McKay. Indoor voice,” Brendan murmured, wincing. “How long have I been here.”
Shrugging, Rodney hit two keys and folded away his computer. “About a day. You've been in and out of consciousness in that time. Hey!” He pointed a thick finger at the agent, smiling. “You speak Russian! Radek was amused, even though he's Czech, but apparently he speaks -”
“Give the poor lad a break, Rodney,” Carson said as he wandered into the area. “Good afternoon, Mr. Dean. How are you feeling?”
“I'm good,” Brendan said, smiling. “Not nearly as drained right now.”
Nodding, Carson fussed over his patient. “Well, it's no wonder. That thing -”
“That thing we found in the bowels of the city has been feeding off you!” Rodney interrupted.
Straightening, Brendan glared at the scientist. “I figured as much, but how -”
McKay reached down, and produced an ornate box. Putting up a dismissive hand, he ignored Carson's gasp. “I've put it in the equivalent of a lead-lined box.”
Chuckling, Brendan relaxed. “You mean that thing is like my very own kryptonite? How? Why?”
Rodney opened his mouth then shut it again, glancing uncertainly at the doctor.
Carson pointed a severe finger at his friend. “Make it quick, but do not overwhelm him.” Stepping back to glare at both of them, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I want the both of you to have lunch and rest. Mister Dean, I will call for a tray to be brought here. If everything is satisfactory, I will release you in a couple hours.” Giving a sunny smile, he walked away.
When the doctor was safely out of earshot, Brendan let his head fall back. “I take it the colonel is rarely on his good side in here.” Taking another deep breath, he turned his attention to Rodney McKay. “Okay. What's the deal?”
Scooting closer, the scientist's blue eyes caught fire. “I don't know why I didn't see it before.”
“Well, I'm sure you were distracted.”
“No, no. Not here; when I was in your universe.” Patting the box, McKay crookedly smiled. “This object is out of time.”
Brendan felt his brows lift. “Out of time like a phase-shift, or out of time like Doctor Who?”
Frowning, Rodney seemed to think about it. “A little of both, actually. And it's kinda your fault.”
“What? How is it my fault?”
Raising a placating hand, Rodney glanced over his shoulder, hoping Carson wouldn't appear suddenly. “Okay, it's not your fault per se. It's the Ancients of your timeline.”
“Well, I had nothing to do with that, McKay,” Brendan replied, his left hand searching for the bed control.
“Whatever. Be quiet, and let me explain.”
Sighing, Rodney placed the box on the bed. The NSA agent could tell the other man was gearing up for a breathless explanation by the way his eyes focused like lasers. While Brendan adjusted the bed, McKay's hands began moving. Resigning himself to a lecture in astrophysics, Brendan tried to pay attention. Just over McKay's shoulder, he saw Ronon peek around the corner and nod, then disappear.
Great. No turning back now. He wondered briefly if the large man was checking on him or escaping the lecture.
“Thousands of years ago,” Rodney began. “Atlantis had a stowaway. No telling when this instrument was first discovered, but it's probably been bouncing people back and forth for years before it was contained. These stones look like precursors to the Ancient stones that are still the worst idea ever.”
“What's the difference?”
Patting the box again, McKay shook his head. “This stone travels with the person instead of staying here. Which is so not following the basic laws of - Nevermind. The point is that someone found this in your universe and traded with someone here.”
Frowning, Brendan puzzled it out. “Okay. So why is there one here? Why didn't it travel around with them?”
“Good question! My guess is that the stone on this end was never discovered. The war with the Wraith was raging at that time, but I'm not sure of the intensity. Much of the data was lost with the city in your world. I tried to find out all of this while I was exiled there.”
Carson entered with a two trays on a cart. “Enough of yer talking, Rodney. I want you both to eat and sleep.”
“I can't sleep now!” Rodney complained. “I think I figured out a way to send Brendan back.”
Sighing, Carson turned weary eyes on Brendan. “I would like verra much if you would rest before touching that object again. It has thrown your whole body outta whack, and I am at a loss as to what to do if - when - you switch back.”
“That seems to be the consensus,” Rodney replied quietly.
Plucking at the blanket, Brendan tried to relax his body; the smell of the food had caused his stomach to knot. “So is this good news or bad?”
Rodney glanced away. “I'm not sure. Evidently, there is a way, but we - you - need to be careful.” Focusing his intense gaze on the agent, McKay folded his hands on the bed. “This thing drains so much of your energy, that I'm afraid of what may happen.”
“So why is it using me? I mean, Atlantis is pretty upset about this device.”
Rodney shrugged, considering the orb locked away in the box. “It's possible that it's focused on you because you're from the same time line. I wish I knew why it activated now and not before.”
“Well, nothing happened until you crossed over, Rodney,” Carson murmured.
“That was an accident!”
Brendan let his fingers trace the bas relief on the box, thinking of John. Stuck in his body, possibly doing his job, communicating with Freya -
“What?” McKay asked, concern etched in his weary face.
Shaking his head, Brendan settled back against the pillows. “Nothing.”
“Seriously, what?”
“I was thinking about how Sheppard might react to a telepath.”
Matching the other man's grimace, Rodney shook his head. “That might not go well.” Suddenly, the scientist rose, snapping his fingers. “Telepaths. Mind control. Carson!”
“I'm right here, Rodney.” the doctor snapped, appearing just behind McKay. Frowning at the nearly full tray, Carson crossed his arms. “Before the two of you start anything, I want you both to eat. Don't think I've not seen your hands shaking, Rodney.”
Embarrassed, the scientist moved his hands out of sight. The fire went out of his glare, just a little bit, as he sighed. “Fine. But I want to test a theory later. I need new EEG reports -”
“What's wrong with the ones we already have?” Carson asked, summoning a nurse.
Standing, McKay began to pace at the foot of the bed. “That's old information. I need to know how his brain reacts to this device.”
Sighing, Carson sent the nurse away for another tray. “When she returns, you will sit and eat, Rodney. And you,” he said, pointing to his patient. “Will finish that sandwich.”
“Carson, we need to know -”
“Look, Rodney, the colonel interacts much differently with Atlantis. Even I'm not sure how exactly he - we - make devices work. Mister Dean's gene is significantly different, possibly due to his alternate universe.”
“Yes, yes. And knowing how exactly could get Sheppard back sooner.”
Brendan watched the exchange between doctor and scientist, ignoring the escalating beeping on the monitor. Shoving away the tray, he picked up the box.
“What the hell are you doing?” McKay exclaimed. “Put that down!”
“No, Doctor McKay! I can't do this anymore! The headaches and the hum and the hiding... I'm just too damn tired! If this is the answer, let's just get this over with!”
“But we have no idea what will happen - Carson! Tell him!”
Putting up his hands, the doctor tried to be the voice of reason. “Everyone, calm down!” Snatching the box away, Carson kept it out of McKay's reach too. “Neither of you are ready for this right now. Give me four hours, and you can try your experiment.”
“That's too long!”
“Why?”
“I know you're both anxious to get back to the way it was, but if either of you make a grave mistake because you're exhausted - I can't allow this to happen.”
“You don't understand, Doctor Beckett, I have to do this now. If the device powers down too much, there's a chance I won't be able to get back.” Sitting up straighter, Brendan ran both his hands through his hair. Teyla and Ronon had appeared just outside of the area; somehow the agent knew John Sheppard's team would assemble in the infirmary. Support from co-workers is nice, but those few who become friends were priceless. “I need to get home, and I'm pretty sure he'd like to do the same.”
Suddenly, the box flew open, and the glass orb rose, drifting toward Brendan. Carson tried his best to be unsurprised, and failed.
“I hate it when he does that.” Finding his chair again, McKay motioned his other teammates closer. Once the orb rested in the other man's palm, it glowed bright green. “Between Atlantis and Agent Dean here, there should be enough power to do this.”
Placing her hand on Brendan's arm, she smiled. “It was good to meet you, Brendan Dean. Safe trip.” She drew him down to a traditional embrace, then quickly stepped away. Ronon nodded silently behind her, crossing his arms. Brendan knew this was the warrior's way of telling him he would be on watch.
Taking a deep breath, the agent focused on the device. Rodney's determined yet exhausted face paled further. “Don't worry about me, McKay. Worry about your colonel when he gets back.”
“He's not my colonel,” Rodney winced, stabbing several buttons on his computer. “All right. Radek found very little in the database about switching back. But according to the simulation, I'm pretty sure once you get back, the device will be disabled permanently. The window will be closed, the universe will have been righted again, whatever.”
“And if I see any problem whatsoever,” the doctor said firmly. “I will pull the plug.”
“Are you nervous? You look nervous.”
“Of course, I'm nervous, McKay. It's not every day I get to navigate between universes.” Setting his shoulders, Brendan let go of the breath he had been holding. “Okay. Let's do this.”
“And when you get back, you are not allowed to touch anything from Lockton. Ever.”
“I get it, McKay. In fact -” Brendan's eyes suddenly rolled back and a shiver raced through his body.
Rodney lunged forward, awkwardly fumbling with the laptop. “Carson!”
“I'm on it,” the doctor said, reaching for the darkened orb. His fingers passed through; nothing left but a cold burst of air. “Och! It's gone!”
“What?”
As Carson lowered his patient's shivering body down, the lights flickered. Elizabeth entered, glancing between the ceiling and the audience around the bed. “Rodney?”
Tapping away at his keyboard, the scientist tapped his comm. “What do you have, Radek?”
“I believe Atlantis used some of the energy to help the device complete its task.”
Rodney frowned, closing his computer. “That is a big drain. Get me a diagnostic on the ZedPM. I'll be down shortly.”
Standing next to Carson at the bed, Elizabeth resisted the urge to touch the prone man on the bed. “Is he...?”
“We're not sure,” Rodney replied quietly.
“All right. Everyone shoo,” the doctor said, flapping his hands toward the small group. “The patient is fine for now, and he will likely sleep this off for a while.”
Rising, McKay snatched the wrapped sandwich off his tray; he had forgotten all about lunch in the excitement. “I'll need that data to find out if -”
“No, Rodney. Let him sleep. For that matter, I am prescribing a nap for you also. When he wakes,” Carson pointing a severe finger. “And only when he's fully awake can you ask yer questions. So now, off wit ya.”
“Thank you, Carson. Please let us know if there are any changes in his condition,” Elizabeth said, following the others out of the area. Tapping Teyla's arm, she smiled. “I'm scheduling a visit to Yarrel tomorrow. Care to join me?”
“Certainly, Elizabeth...”
As Carson removed the final sticky tab from his patient's temple, he noticed slight movement. “Colonel?”
“Mmm,” he groaned, turning on his side with a shiver.
Straightening the blankets, Carson smiled, watching the patient find a deeper sleep. “Welcome back, John.”
oOoOoOo
When John woke, the first thing he noticed was the air, faintly salty with a metallic tang. Am I really home?
Opening his eyes warily, John blinked against the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let Atlantis lull him back to sleep.
oOoOoOo
“When is he going to wake up? It's been a week.”
“It has only been three days, Rodney.”
“What if his brain is all scrambled? He could barely fly a straight line before - What if he can't fly?”
Opening both his eyes, John tried his best to glare. “What do you mean by that? I can still -”
“John?” Teyla stepped into his field of vision. “Have you returned to us?”
Supporting himself on his elbows, John's brows drew together. “Did I go somewhere?” he asked with a wink.
Teyla threw her arms around his neck, offering a happy and brief hug. “So nice to see you finally!”
“You kids behave yourself while I was gone?”
“Oh, ha ha. Hope you enjoyed your vacation, Colonel. I'm very behind on my work thanks to your little side trip.” Even Rodney couldn't help the smile curving his crooked mouth.
“Back off, Rodney. The man just woke up.” Carson chided, wading through the crowd of friends. “So glad you're awake. How do you feel?”
“I'm good,” he said, stifling a yawn.
“I'll be the judge of that, if ya don't mind.” Taking the patient's vitals, the doctor summoned a nurse. She returned with another blanket, offering Sheppard a flirty smile as she spread it over John. “Thank you, Eloise. Now, Colonel, your blood pressure's a wee bit low, so I'd like to keep ya overnight. It'll be dinner time soon, so if ya like, you can nap until then. Unless, of course, you like a little snack now.”
Frowning, John seemed to weigh the options. He struggled to keep his eyes open, and made a decision. “Think I'll pass for now, Doc. Hope there's pudding with dinner.” Closing both eyes, he turned on his side, feebly waving at his team. A light tap on his shoulder made him open one eye.
Ronon grinned happily. “'Bout time you came back. That guy was weird.”
“Weird?” Waking himself a bit, he glanced around the room. “Major, you gonna enlighten me?”
Smiling, Lorne stepped closer. “I will later, sir. All I can say for now is, Atlantis was peeved and McKay didn't sleep.”
“Peeved?”
“Hey, I slept!” Huffing, Rodney brought up a large hand, ticking off the list of The City's peevishness. “Blinking lights, intermittent power distribution, cold showers. Not to mention her - its - focus on the intruder. Kinda felt bad for the guy. But we did find another lab that wasn't in any schematic until he arrived.”
“Oh yeah?” John asked through another yawn.
“Yeah. In fact -”
“Uh, Doc?” Lorne interrupted. “I think we better let him sleep.”
“What?” Glancing down at the colonel, Rodney went quiet. “Guess you're right. I need to get back to the lab anyway.”
“Mmm,” John mumbled, drifting off into a fitful slumber.
oOoOoOo
In his mind's eye, John walked a corridor of brightly colored doors. One in particular caught his attention. Opening it, he watched himself filling out paperwork, arranging a rescue mission, walking around in a dark, creepy place, and seeing a floating light hurl itself at him.
Waking with a start, John surveyed the room. The lights were dim, and the comforting sound of clicking keys nearly lulled him back to sleep.
“Are you okay?”
Blinking, the colonel focused on McKay sitting in the chair next to his bed, face illuminated by his computer screen. “I - I'm fine?”
Rodney closed his laptop, and reached over to turn on a light. “I don't think that classifies as an answer, Sheppard.”
Pressing a button, John raised his bed a little higher, hoping sitting upright would shake the feeling of being in two places at once. “Could I get some water?”
“Umm, yeah. Sure, let me just... Ah!” McKay searched for a cup after he found the small pitcher. Watching his friend grasp the cup with two shaking hands, Rodney considered calling Carson. “Bad dream?”
Setting the cup down, John thought about what he saw. “No. I think I was dreaming about work.”
“Work? At the NSA or here?”
“Here. I was filing out paperwork, and I know it wasn't me, 'cause I never do that stuff on time, let alone file it. And then I was in the jumper, but I wasn't flying. How weird is that? There was an ambush, but I was the one leading it, and - I think there were sandwiches.”
McKay let out a laugh, sitting back down. “I can't believe - How did he do that?”
“I don't know. And what's so funny?”
Shaking his head, Rodney explained Brendan Dean's ability to package memories. “I guess he left you a report.”
“More than I did for him, that's for sure,” John replied, pulling the blanket over his arms. “He wasn't in too good of shape when we switched. He also has worn a suit since he was born.”
“Oh my God, I know! He was a little too by the book. Kept calling my Doctor McKay. Creeped me out.”
“That is creepy.”
“He told me that people should be called by their titles since they worked so hard to earn them.”
“How could you stand it? He was being so respectful!”
“I know! I hated it.”
John laughed, relieved that everything was back to normal, especially his friend. “I think it was stranger dealing with his partner.”
“The telepath?”
“Yeah. She was actually pretty insightful.”
Scowling, Rodney took in the colonel's wistful expression. “Pretty insightful, or insightfully pretty?”
John shrugged. “A little of both maybe? She had these big dark eyes that made me tell her things.”
“What kind of things?”
“I dunno,” John murmured, lowering his eyes. “I couldn't lie to her.”
Letting the silence stretch between them, Rodney smoothed his hands over his hair. “Who else did you meet?”
Grateful of the change in subject, John curled up on his side, facing Rodney. “I met a twisted version of Radek.”
“You met him? The one I fired from Lockton?”
“Yeah. Man, there was something wrong with that guy.”
“I know he wanted to find another universe with his wife in it. I think it made him a little crazy.”
“No kidding.”
“Good evening, Colonel,” Carson said, drifting into the semi-private room. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Ready to sleep in my own bed.”
Nodding, the doctor took Sheppard's vitals. “Well, you should be able to leave my watchful care in the morning. Ready for a small meal?”
“Sure.”
Smiling, Carson nodded once more. “Glad to hear it, John. I'll return shortly.”
Scooting closer to the bed, Rodney was eager for more information. “So did you meet his mother?”
John remembered Paget Dean's concerned face as she fussed over her son. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking just a little bit. “Yeah, I did.”
oOoOoOo
The end.
Oh my God! I finally finished it! I know it's not up to my usual, but thankfully, it's finished. I hate unfinished fic!