LONG SHADOW BY rhymer23 [LFWS #1 ROUND 9]
Title: Long Shadow
Author: rhymer23
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: Spoilers for The Kindred and, indirectly, for The Seed.
Prompt for the Round: Write a fic set in the infirmary, but only having the medical staff as characters. OCs can be used, but there must be at least one canon character too.
LONG SHADOW by rhymer23
Carson had no memory of sitting down, but the floor was cold beneath him, and the wall was like ice at his back. His eyes felt scoured, and shapes on two legs moved around him like figures from a dream. The ghost of a face danced around his field of vision, refusing to settle in one place.
Something as cool as spring-water pressed itself against his brow. "You're burning up," he heard Marie say. "Let's get you to a bed."
"No beds." He scrubbed at his eyes, and her face became more recognizable. "None spare."
"We've set up more." Marie's hand closed on his arm. "There's one waiting for you."
He felt her pulling him upwards. Everything lurched, and he slid from her hands, his shoulder striking the wall. He held himself upright, but only just. "No," he rasped, "got to get back to work. Got to--"
"No." Her voice was firm - a tone he recognized; medical professional speaking to distressed patient. "The contagion has been controlled, remember? Your treatment worked."
But two Marines had died, dying under his care, pale sheets pulled over pale faces. Carson knees gave way, and there was the floor again, as cold and hard as in Michael's prison. "Give me a moment," he begged her, "just a wee moment, and then…"
Colonel Sheppard had contracted the disease in a brutal prison camp, and from there it had spread to the rescue party, and to Doctor Keller, who had treated the colonel in the field. And two men were dead. Carson's hands shook. The shadows swirled behind Marie's head.
"Could I have saved them," he asked, "if I'd done things differently?"
Her ice-cold hands found his face. "You're sick, Carson. Please…"
Her words faded into memories of dead men and women, dying over the years under his care. Years of memories…
Not his memories.
"Could he have saved them?" he asked her. "The other Carson? The real one?"
The other Carson resided, sometimes, in the spaces between people's words. He stretched behind like a long shadow. He was a face in a darkened mirror. He was…
"He would have done as well as you have," Marie said, "because you're the same. Now come to bed, please."
"No," he said, "no," because whether he was the real Carson or not, there were still people to heal.
"Everyone's being well looked after," Marie said, as other faces joined her, clouded with concern. "You need to let us look after you."
And other hands raised him, caring for him, worried about him.
Carson sank into them.
It was time to rest.
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.
Author: rhymer23
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: Spoilers for The Kindred and, indirectly, for The Seed.
Prompt for the Round: Write a fic set in the infirmary, but only having the medical staff as characters. OCs can be used, but there must be at least one canon character too.
LONG SHADOW by rhymer23
Carson had no memory of sitting down, but the floor was cold beneath him, and the wall was like ice at his back. His eyes felt scoured, and shapes on two legs moved around him like figures from a dream. The ghost of a face danced around his field of vision, refusing to settle in one place.
Something as cool as spring-water pressed itself against his brow. "You're burning up," he heard Marie say. "Let's get you to a bed."
"No beds." He scrubbed at his eyes, and her face became more recognizable. "None spare."
"We've set up more." Marie's hand closed on his arm. "There's one waiting for you."
He felt her pulling him upwards. Everything lurched, and he slid from her hands, his shoulder striking the wall. He held himself upright, but only just. "No," he rasped, "got to get back to work. Got to--"
"No." Her voice was firm - a tone he recognized; medical professional speaking to distressed patient. "The contagion has been controlled, remember? Your treatment worked."
But two Marines had died, dying under his care, pale sheets pulled over pale faces. Carson knees gave way, and there was the floor again, as cold and hard as in Michael's prison. "Give me a moment," he begged her, "just a wee moment, and then…"
Colonel Sheppard had contracted the disease in a brutal prison camp, and from there it had spread to the rescue party, and to Doctor Keller, who had treated the colonel in the field. And two men were dead. Carson's hands shook. The shadows swirled behind Marie's head.
"Could I have saved them," he asked, "if I'd done things differently?"
Her ice-cold hands found his face. "You're sick, Carson. Please…"
Her words faded into memories of dead men and women, dying over the years under his care. Years of memories…
Not his memories.
"Could he have saved them?" he asked her. "The other Carson? The real one?"
The other Carson resided, sometimes, in the spaces between people's words. He stretched behind like a long shadow. He was a face in a darkened mirror. He was…
"He would have done as well as you have," Marie said, "because you're the same. Now come to bed, please."
"No," he said, "no," because whether he was the real Carson or not, there were still people to heal.
"Everyone's being well looked after," Marie said, as other faces joined her, clouded with concern. "You need to let us look after you."
And other hands raised him, caring for him, worried about him.
Carson sank into them.
It was time to rest.
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.