Unhinged (Ficathon)

[titan5]

Title: Unhinged
Author: Titan5
For: Kriadydragon
Rating: PG-13 for violence, torture
Prompt: Shep whump, feral Shep, team taking care of/protecting Shep
Timeline: early to mid-season 4
Summary: When John’s team is captured, John is tortured for information. Things don’t get much easier, even after they escape.
A/N: I got long winded (as usual) and

Comments

[padawan_aneiki]

Yes, there's interest! Sequel! *claps* Poor bud...*shudders* locked in that box with the bugs... Luv all the team tenderness at the end tho'. :D *claps*

[titan5]

Thanks!! Kriadydragon liked it and wants the sequel too (which makes me very happy), so I'll have to start planning that out. I have no idea where that idea came from (apparently my mind is a very dark place), but with Shep I knew bugs probably needed to be involved (LOL). Poor guy!!

[kristen999]

This story really hurt, what was done to John was exceptionally cruel and twisted and unknowingly really hit at I think is a phobia of his. The combinations of the head i injuries, beatings and drugs is an incredible toll, add to it the buried alive and made to think he killed Teyla..you pulled out all the stops in tearing apart John's mind.

I enjoyed Teyla's calming force in this throughout, from taking care of John, to handling his care when they were reunited with Ronon and Rodney. John's mind has suffered major mental trauma and you handled his near canonic state very well.

I'm actually glad you ended the way you did instead of a band-aid as you story would have needed to be twice as longer if not longer to deal with the psychological trauma and needed treatment to ever bring John back to an even footing again.

I'm glad you're writing a sequel.

[titan5]

I did a lot of thinking as what might drive John over the edge and then just used all of it. Poor guy. Then the "buried alive" thing just kind of happened as I was writing - the story kind of took over at that point.

I didn't want the quick-fix, cause I honestly think that would have ruined it. Even more unrealistic than some of the episode bounce-backs he does. I've started outlining the sequel, but I'm having a hard time really imagining how totally freaked he would be and what all that would cause. I want it to be realistic and really team driven - in a team mood now!!

Many thanks!! I appreciate you.

[kristen999]

The biggest problem with PTSD is that most victims don't act freaked out...they want and try to act normal and its signs and other things that creep up on them before they ever face it.

With John being so inward, I think that would only compound things.

[titan5]

Yeah, I agree. I think at first he will still be kind of freaked out acting because of the drugs and head injuries - or at least more overtly panicked and out of control. As he gets over those and becomes more lucid, that's when he'll try to bury everything (no pun intended) and have the more subtle reactions to things. I think. I hope. Maybe I should go get a psychologist before I write this.

[titan5]

Thank you so much. John is such a strong character, I knew it would take a lot to really push him over the edge, so I just kept dishing it out. I'm glad it came across the way I intended - that doesn't always happen. I've already started outlining scenes for the sequel, so hopefully I can get into it really soon. Thank you so much for the detailed feedback - it really helps!!

[seramercury]

This was well worth the wait, m'dear. Excellent job and I am so voting for a sequel here!!

[titan5]

Thank you!! I think the vote was a landslide in favor of a sequel. Good thing since I've already started planning. I had to really - I hated not getting the recovery part in, although I think this is going to be a SUPER hard one to write.

[shepsgirl]

This was an amazing read and you really succeeded very realistically in sending John over the edge. Too many times John gets horribly tortured and bounces back far too quickly. Being buried alive with the bugs was a terrifying ordeal and it's good to know that even Shep has got a breaking point, and you handled his phobia very well. I think this will take him a long time to get over and I think I will have nightmares for the poor guy. Having him freak out was very realistic as he was drugged, beaten and terrified but I also think that once he comes down off the drugs he will try and put it behind him in true Sheppard fashion but I don't think this ordeal will be as easy to bury as past horrible experiences.
I really look forward to your sequel.

[titan5]

Thank you. I agree that he seems to bounce back much too quickly sometimes - especially in the show, but we've done it a few times in the fanfic world as well. I'm currently working on the sequel and I want to show that it will be a long and sometimes painful process. Things WILL get better once the drugs are gone, but as you said, he'll still have a long way to go (even if he doesn't like to admit that). I'll try to make it as close to realistic and as much in character as I can. Thank you for the support!!