Title: Irresistible Rodent
Author: sleepyhedgehog
Rating: PG
Pairing: pre-slash McKay/Sheppard banter
Word count: ~380
Disclaimer: If they were mine, McShep would be canon
Acknowledgements: a big fluffy thank you to
ginny4harry for beta-ing
Summary: Episode: Hide and Seek, after Carson injects Rodney with the ATA gene and before Weir spots Sheppard throwing Rodney off the balcony.
Rodney was sitting on the bed in the infirmary, fidgeting nervously and tapping his fingers impatiently on the edge of the bed.
Sheppard walked in, looked around, spotted Rodney and headed straight for him.
‘McKay. How you feeling?’
‘Same as always. My back is a little stiff,’ he fidgeted again.
‘Did it work?’
‘If it did, I wouldn’t be sitting here. ’
Rodney looked at the small device he held in his hand and squeezed it.
‘Nope,’ he shook his head, ‘Carson said it can take some time.’
‘Voodoo medicine’, he added under his breath.
‘Well, if it doesn’t I’ll always be around to turn things on,’ Sheppard raised his eyebrows innocently.
‘It will’
McKay frowned.
‘You ok?’
‘Just felt a little dizzy, it’s probably nothing. haven’t eaten in a while,’
Rodney put the Ancient device down and started rummaging in his pockets for a power bar.
‘Are there any side effects?’ John sounded concerned by Rodney’s unusual disregard for his own health.
Rodney found the bar and tore off the wrapper. Biting into it, he said,
‘It’s still pretty much at experimental stage,’ Rodney stuffed most of the power bar into his mouth.
His mouth was full and all Sheppard caught from the next sentence was “sacrificing” and “science”.
Rodney swallowed.
‘Carson did say there is a possibility. The retrovirus was extracted from mice…’
Sheppard cut him off, ‘So you might inherit some mouse-like characteristics?’
He leaned in and squinted at Rodney’s face.
‘I think your eyes are sort of beady and your nose looks a little longer. Soon you’ll be sprouting a tail,’ he smirked.
Rodney looked up at him, irritated.
‘Actually, as the doctor put it, and I quote, “Dry mouth, headache ... the irresistible urge to run in a small wheel.” Very professional, don’t you think?’
Sheppard chuckled.
Rodney glared at Sheppard.
‘In fact, I am beginning to think that your unhealthy interest in Ferris wheels might originate in some underground ATA therapy’ he said smugly.
Rodney stuffed the rest of the power bar into his mouth, put the wrapper on the bed and reached for the small device.
As soon as the tips of his fingers brushed the surface of the device, it lit up with a bright green light.