“Pavor Nocturnus” Conclusion
Dec. 26th, 2007 12:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kristen999“Pavor Nocturnus” Conclusion
Dr. Herrington is more alert and is able to sit up while Zelenka explains that they will be leaving any minute. The kid swallows thickly with his eyes closed. “I... I can walk, I think.”
This is good because there's one less person to help carry the young man and the stocky Peppers. Rodney is red faced and pacing in a manner that would fail any sobriety test.
“We should go find Sheppard and head to the jumper together.”
Brier hasn't said much. His face is so swollen it's a shock that he can talk at all but if looks could kill then McKay would be long dead. “We have our orders; let’s go.”
Rodney's cheek flush even darker in contrast to the contusions on one side of his face. The dark bruises around his left eye look really bad. “Something's wrong!”
“Miko, can you help out your colleague? Dr. Zelenka, I need you to help Dr. McKay with Sergeant Peppers,” the Marine instructs.
Rodney tries to cross his arms and bumps his broken wrist so he stands petulantly. “That's unacceptable.”
“What is unacceptable, Doctor McKay, is getting in a pissing match with me. There are three civilians, including yourself, and an injured solider whose safety I've been placed in charge of. Now I'm getting all of you to the jumper. The colonel said he was meeting us there.”
Rodney stabs the life signs detector with his finger. “He's not moving fast enough!”
“But we have to,” Brier yells. “Help with Peppers. We'll get everyone to safety and if the colonel doesn't meet us, I'll go back and get him.”
McKay looks ready to go into full on rant mode but the young black man looks him right in the eye. “You think I don't want to go after my commanding officer? I'm a Marine! I don't leave my people behind. But it’s my duty to protect all of you. Like it or not!”
Herrington steadies himself, his eyes focusing more as the ramifications of the fight sink in. “Dr. McKay, the quicker we go…” His expression says the rest.
McKay seems eager to keep fighting but he knows about the weight of responsibility. “Fine.”
They are a sorry looking lot, navigating down the halls where monsters lurk. Miko's ponytail is frizzy; her glasses slip down constantly from sweat, but she grips her gun in a weird familiarity. Herrington's eyes are sharper, less glassy, but he still doesn't fool anyone with his unsteady footing. He puts on a brave determined face for them all.
There's no radio chatter, no talking.
Sergeant Peppers has brief moments of lucidity. He moves his feet one minute, drags them the other with his weight balanced between Zelenka and McKay. Rodney has a tough time trying to balance the Marine with a busted wrist and sore ribs, but he's their guide post with the life signs detector.
Shuffle. Clomp. Move.
They are almost there; Zelenka recognizes this section from when they’d first entered the complex. The group rallies, sensing an end to this misadventure but each of them checks for signs that Sheppard is close by.
“There are two subjects in the next hall,” McKay whispers.
Brier does the hand signal thing, telling them to stay put. He dashes down the corridor in stealth mode, waiting in ambush to take out the foes without attracting attention.
“Is the colonel coming?” Miko asks, still looking.
Rodney stares angrily at the detector. “Not fast enough and there are two red dots gaining on him.”
She adjusts her glasses. “He did not look well earlier.”
Herrington eases his weight off of the petite woman. “What if he needs our help?”
Zelenka peers over Rodney's shoulder at the life signs detector. “Miko is right. If he's injured, should not one of us go back and assist him?”
“I'll go,” Rodney volunteers.
Zelenka shakes his head. “If something happens, you are the only one who can fly.”
McKay looks ready to blow a gasket at being shot down. Maybe having the gene in matters of crisis really is a curse when it comes to helping your friends.
Herrington extracts himself from Miko and nods at her to help take up Pepper's burden. They all conspire without words to help someone who will always do the same for any of them.
Zelenka grips his gun tighter, gains strength from each of them in silence and takes off down the hall.
He ignores Brier's angry demands over the radio to get his ass back. He hears the Marine tear McKay a new one and most times he would secretly enjoy such a dressing down, but not today.
He doesn't have a photographic memory though it's pretty darn good. The lab complex isn't that big and he follows the directions in his head, knowing that McKay will yell at him if he goes the wrong way.
He shudders, listening for any movement. This is not what he does, but ever since arriving in Pegasus, they've all taken on new roles. People like Sheppard carry guns, fight battles on the front lines but there's no denying that the scientists are the support soldiers , giving them the weapons to defeat the enemy.
He recalls a day when he had less than thirty-eight minutes to rescue a jumper filled with key expedition members. Lives rested with his expertise in technology and how he could apply that knowledge. Months went by and his capabilities were used to help save teammates...people he called friends in the lab. Now he runs down hallways with just his hands and a gun without question.
He pokes his head around the next corner, searching the darkness for the colonel. His teammate should be near by, but all that greets him are tricks of the light. If he calls out to Sheppard he'll attract the bad guys---but he knows deep inside that the people trying to kill them are just victims.
He creeps down the hall, copying the soldiers by staying glued to the wall. There's an odd odor in the air and his heartbeat ratchets up a notch. If he can smell the gas then he's so very close. His palms itch and he walks softly, searching the void for signs of life.
He hears a noise, every muscle in his body freezes and the gun shakes in his hand. At the end of the hall is a figure slumped on the floor.
It's Sheppard and he sprints over, trying to control his breathing.
“Colonel?” he whispers.
Zelenka places his hand on the pilot's shoulder and almost gets punched in the face for his effort.
“Radek!”
“Sorry... I… um...are you all right?”
It's a dumb question. Sheppard looks awful, pale and sweaty. The colonel sways badly as he tries to stand. Zelenka doesn't even wait for permission and slings one arm around his shoulder and starts moving.
The colonel trips, almost knocking them both down. Sheppard's skin is like ice and he's trembling badly, but forces one foot in front of the other.
“Where....are......”
Sheppard can't complete a sentence and Zelenka fills in the blanks. “Everyone has gone to the jumper. I came back to get you when it seemed like your plan wasn't going to work.”
“It...worked,” the pilot croaks.
Except for the part where the colonel was supposed to make it back with them but Zelenka doesn't mention that. Then it occurs to him to tap his radio.
“I've got Colonel Sheppard. We're heading back now.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Tell Sheppard he doesn't have any more of his nine lives to spare,” Rodney miffs.
Zelenka has a witty comeback except McKay screams in his ear about the two bad guys right around the corner. The air is knocked out of his lungs as his back hits the floor. His glasses are knocked away by the first punch; the second makes his head spin.
His finger pulls the trigger, firing blindly at the blur of scrub top material. He turns around at the sounds of a struggle beside him. There's a blob punching Sheppard and he aims the gun at the largest part of the fuzzy outline and shoots.
Rolling the dead body away, feeling the warm blood on his hands makes him want to gag. He searches the cold linoleum, finding his glasses, swallowing hard to control the terror and panic inside. Zelenka grabs the pilot's tac vest, yanks on it hard because he knows damn well he can't pull Sheppard up.
“Help me, Colonel.”
The pilot moans, but gets to his feet without toppling over. They make a good pair of drunks, both sore and woozy, but his ear piece is amazingly still intact. Rodney has been threatening them both for the past few minutes and that's always a great motivator. The escape to the jumper is a blur and so is dragging Sheppard into the hatch.
--------------------------------------------------
“I want to stay in the lab; this... this is posrat,” Zelenka curses.
Complaining alleviates his stress. It's an outlet over the fact that McKay is flying the jumper with a broken wrist, Sergeant Brier hasn't yelled at him yet and the only person with a fraction of any medical training is him.
“What's our ETA?” the sergeant barks.
“Two hours. If you think you can go outside and push to make it go any faster, be my guest!” Rodney shouts.
Miko comes over with a blanket for the colonel. She’s already placed one over Sergeant Peppers near the front and drapes it over Sheppard who lays on the floor of the jumper in the rear.
The pilot opens his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispers.
“How are you feeling?” Zelenka bends over to ask.
“Tired.....Everyone accounted for?”
“Yes, yes. We're all here.”
Brier makes his way towards the back and squats down next to his CO. “I wasn't going to leave you, sir.”
Sheppard shakes his head. “Never doubted it. You did a good job, Sergeant . You got everyone out of there.”
“You pulled off one hell of an escape plan, sir.” Brier looks over at Zelenka. “We'll talk later but Dr. Beckett wants you to switch to channel two.”
There's tension in the Marine's eyes and he adjusts his com to answer all the physician's questions. He adjusts the level of Pepper's feet, checking his breathing and pulse. Miko gets Brier's arm settled in a sling and hands him an ice pack for his face and jaw.
“Can you tell me your name and where we are?” Zelenka asks Herrington.
The younger man lays on his side on one of the benches, all his will power spent trying to be less of a burden till they made it.
“Most of the time it's ‘hey, kid’ and I think we're still in Hell.”
Zelenka sighs.
“Hello, the guy flying the ship would really like some pain medication before he passes out.”
Miko looks at Zelenka. “He is only worried about Colonel Sheppard. We should not be so hard on him.”
“Dr. Beckett says no pain meds while you're flying, Rodney. Miko can give you some aspirin,” Zelenka tells him.
“Oh, fabulous, tell Carson he's a sadist. And speaking of people flying, how's Sheppard?”
“Hold on, Carson is talking to me,” Zelenka tells him.
“You said a door exploded into him?”
“Yes.”
“How is his breathing?”
“Shallow and rapid.”
“And his skin tone?”
“Very pale and he is sweating.”
“What is his pulse like?”
Zelenka feels the pilot's neck, not liking what he's reporting. He did take basic first aid and knows how bad shock can be. “It's weak and very fast.”
“Did the bugger mention if he was in pain anywhere?”
“No. He was guarding his side for a while.”
“Which side?”
“Right.”
“Low or high?”
“High, I think.”
“How sensitive to pain is he there?”
Zelenka doesn't want to press on the poor man but he's very aware of all the eyes on him and he touches the pilot's stomach. He palpates each rib, reaching up to his arm pit.
Sheppard slaps his hand away. “Stop,” he gasps.
“It’s painful on the upper right side.”
“Okay, lad. Just keep him comfortable. Talk to him, try to keep him alert.”
They chat about McKay's bad piloting and the newest expansion to World of Warcraft, even though he knows the pilot doesn't play, preferring other video games. Sheppard answers with single words and bad jokes.
“You did .....good, Radek. Tell.....Miko....she's pretty bad ass with a gun,” Sheppard laughs weakly.
Three minutes later Zelenka wanders over to the cockpit. “How much longer?”
Rodney's bad wrist lays in his lap with an icepack and when he speaks every syllable ends in a snarl. “I've already told G.I Joe another half an hour. Maybe you should have asked him instead of pestering me. In fact, aren't you supposed to be playing nurse maid or something?”
“Colonel Sheppard lost consciousness a few minutes ago. I can't wake him up,” Zelenka tells him in a low voice.
Rodney pales even further and scans the instruments. “I...I've tried everything ......I can't get any more power to the engines.”
Zelenka lays a hand on his shoulder. “Just get us home.”
------------------------------------------------
Sheppard feels fuzzy, floating on a warm cloud, his body numb and tingling. He's not sore on the cold floor of a jumper. Lethargy seeps through his veins and the idea of sleep sets his mind on high alert. People...there were people who wanted to sleep so badly they'd gone insane.
He forces his crusted eyes open, takes in the spinning ceiling and the tingling becomes stabbing pin pricks.
“Sheppard?”
That was Rodney's voice.
“Hey, you.... go get Carson, tell him the colonel is awake.”
The room swims into a blur of halos and sounds. “What?”
“Oh, come on, there's no way you could forget our night with the zombies. I mean it was a bad Stephen King movie come to life.”
Sheppard focuses on McKay's face. “No...I remember them. How did I end up---”
“You didn't take into account that a steel door blown apart by an explosive device might have done something bad?”
“Thought...I just hit my head....hurt some ribs.”
“No, Colonel,” Carson says, coming into view. “You lacerated your liver, lad. From the bruise pattern I'd reckon the door handle whacked you the hardest. Blunt force trauma isn't anything to treat lightly.”
“Yeah, next time, tell us if your side is bothering you. Might save you forty stitches,” Rodney snipes.
Sheppard raises his eyebrows, not wanting to imagine the long incision line. “Never...had surgery before.”
“Wow, now you can strike that off your to-do-list.”
“Rodney!” Carson admonishes. “If you don't behave you can leave.”
“Are you okay?” Sheppard asks.
McKay sports a fresh cast and he looks at it a moment. “Fractured wrist, bruised ribs and my face looks ten shades of black and blue. Of course, you have a nice shiner, not that you can see it.”
“We match,” Sheppard rasps. He begins to feel the pull of heavy pain medication when his eyelids snap open again. “Peppers? Everyone else?”
“Where to begin?” Carson tuts. “Sergeant Peppers has a skull fracture, but there's no brain damage. Sergeant Brier broke his radius in two places and will need to replace a few molars. Dr. Herrington has a concussion, Zelenka has some bruising to the face and Miko was shaken up but not hurt. Your mission filled my infirmary all morning.”
“We need to ..find out...what happened. Take....a security team…back,” Sheppard says drowsily.
“I'll go tell everyone you're awake so they get outta my hair,” Carson says with a smile. “And, Rodney, you can finally leave now that you've seen for yourself that the colonel's goin' to be alright.”
“I think I'll go over some notes,” McKay's voice drifts over his head.
Sheppard wants to tell him to go away but is unable to resist the darkness that drags him under again.
-----------------------------
“So, you're the dungeon master?” Sheppard asks.
Zelenka nods. “I set up the rules of the campaign. Now I'm guessing you'll be a warrior?”
“Of course.”
The Czech shakes his head. “Human?”
“Yeah, stick close to what I know best.”
Miko hands him a die. “Roll this for your attributes: charm, intelligence, strength. See on the paper there; this will determine your character traits.”
Sheppard gives her a grin, making her blush as he rolls the die on the table meant for him to eat his meals from.
Herrington chuckles, shuffling pieces of paper and drawing a graph before sitting back down. “I can't believe you've never played, sir.”
“On the computer, yes, but I never did the pen and paper version as a kid. Moved around too much.” Sheppard chews on his lip, trying not to move too much and pull on his sutures.
The three scientists sit around his bed; all of them are off duty for the next few days. Zelenka scribbles in his notepad. “Rodney is still going over the data he downloaded, but it looks like the tests were done to see if they could have soldiers that could fight without needing sleep.”
“Lack of sleep and food… two things that can kill you without a bullet,” Sheppard drawls, disappointed that he doesn't have more hit points for his character.
“The outpost was Ancient and so was the experiment but we think the humans were part of some other group. They were not old enough,” Miko explains.
“Genii?” Sheppard asks.
“We don't know. Could be, or some other group of humans,” Zelenka answers before turning his attention to the quest. “We'll begin outside a cave.”
Herrington snorts. “Very creative.”
Zelenka points at Sheppard. “The man is on morphine. Just trying to keep it simple.”
“He can kick all our asses in military strategy. I still think you should give him a handicap,” the young kid argues.
“Hey,” Sheppard whines. “I'm laying flat on my back with tubes in me. I don't think I could be any more handicapped.”
Miko covers her mouth, chuckling.
“You think that first guy, the one who blew himself up, set all those other explosives?” Herrington asks.
Zelenka shrugs his shoulders. “It might have been a back up plan. It was obvious they were waiting on someone to bring a cure. Rodney thinks he set up his pod to wake him up first to make that determination. The whole chamber was designed so that anyone with the gene would active it upon entering.”
“Oh, you guys are not playing Dungeons and Dragons?” Rodney rolls his eyes, searching for a chair.
“Wanna play, McKay? We still need an elf,” Sheppard says grinning.
“Oh, you should be talking,” Rodney snorts.
Sheppard plays with his nasal cannula. “We really should invite Brier and Peppers.”
“Oh, please. I think Brier is busy spreading the glory of yet another Colonel Sheppard legend to your growing army of worshipers. And all the nurses are doting on Sergeant George Clooney,” Rodney says, grabbing a pad and paper. “Who's the DM?”
“I am,” Zelenka answers.
“Oh, please, Radek. You have the imagination of one of the grunts running around here.”
“McKay,” Sheppard warns.
“Whatever. So, hand me the dice.”
Sheppard lets out a contented sigh. “Okay, we're outside a cave, but there better be no bugs or zombies, Zelenka.”
-----------------------------
Original prompt
A story with John and team offworld with others (scientists or new recruits or whoever the author wants). Some kind of crisis event occurs, resulting in John and some others being injured. John downplays his injuries so he can get everyone back to Atlantis safely.
I went more towards John not realizing he was seriously injured..hope that was cool.
Another thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ditraveler for the awesome drawings.
Dr. Herrington is more alert and is able to sit up while Zelenka explains that they will be leaving any minute. The kid swallows thickly with his eyes closed. “I... I can walk, I think.”
This is good because there's one less person to help carry the young man and the stocky Peppers. Rodney is red faced and pacing in a manner that would fail any sobriety test.
“We should go find Sheppard and head to the jumper together.”
Brier hasn't said much. His face is so swollen it's a shock that he can talk at all but if looks could kill then McKay would be long dead. “We have our orders; let’s go.”
Rodney's cheek flush even darker in contrast to the contusions on one side of his face. The dark bruises around his left eye look really bad. “Something's wrong!”
“Miko, can you help out your colleague? Dr. Zelenka, I need you to help Dr. McKay with Sergeant Peppers,” the Marine instructs.
Rodney tries to cross his arms and bumps his broken wrist so he stands petulantly. “That's unacceptable.”
“What is unacceptable, Doctor McKay, is getting in a pissing match with me. There are three civilians, including yourself, and an injured solider whose safety I've been placed in charge of. Now I'm getting all of you to the jumper. The colonel said he was meeting us there.”
Rodney stabs the life signs detector with his finger. “He's not moving fast enough!”
“But we have to,” Brier yells. “Help with Peppers. We'll get everyone to safety and if the colonel doesn't meet us, I'll go back and get him.”
McKay looks ready to go into full on rant mode but the young black man looks him right in the eye. “You think I don't want to go after my commanding officer? I'm a Marine! I don't leave my people behind. But it’s my duty to protect all of you. Like it or not!”
Herrington steadies himself, his eyes focusing more as the ramifications of the fight sink in. “Dr. McKay, the quicker we go…” His expression says the rest.
McKay seems eager to keep fighting but he knows about the weight of responsibility. “Fine.”
They are a sorry looking lot, navigating down the halls where monsters lurk. Miko's ponytail is frizzy; her glasses slip down constantly from sweat, but she grips her gun in a weird familiarity. Herrington's eyes are sharper, less glassy, but he still doesn't fool anyone with his unsteady footing. He puts on a brave determined face for them all.
There's no radio chatter, no talking.
Sergeant Peppers has brief moments of lucidity. He moves his feet one minute, drags them the other with his weight balanced between Zelenka and McKay. Rodney has a tough time trying to balance the Marine with a busted wrist and sore ribs, but he's their guide post with the life signs detector.
Shuffle. Clomp. Move.
They are almost there; Zelenka recognizes this section from when they’d first entered the complex. The group rallies, sensing an end to this misadventure but each of them checks for signs that Sheppard is close by.
“There are two subjects in the next hall,” McKay whispers.
Brier does the hand signal thing, telling them to stay put. He dashes down the corridor in stealth mode, waiting in ambush to take out the foes without attracting attention.
“Is the colonel coming?” Miko asks, still looking.
Rodney stares angrily at the detector. “Not fast enough and there are two red dots gaining on him.”
She adjusts her glasses. “He did not look well earlier.”
Herrington eases his weight off of the petite woman. “What if he needs our help?”
Zelenka peers over Rodney's shoulder at the life signs detector. “Miko is right. If he's injured, should not one of us go back and assist him?”
“I'll go,” Rodney volunteers.
Zelenka shakes his head. “If something happens, you are the only one who can fly.”
McKay looks ready to blow a gasket at being shot down. Maybe having the gene in matters of crisis really is a curse when it comes to helping your friends.
Herrington extracts himself from Miko and nods at her to help take up Pepper's burden. They all conspire without words to help someone who will always do the same for any of them.
Zelenka grips his gun tighter, gains strength from each of them in silence and takes off down the hall.
He ignores Brier's angry demands over the radio to get his ass back. He hears the Marine tear McKay a new one and most times he would secretly enjoy such a dressing down, but not today.
He doesn't have a photographic memory though it's pretty darn good. The lab complex isn't that big and he follows the directions in his head, knowing that McKay will yell at him if he goes the wrong way.
He shudders, listening for any movement. This is not what he does, but ever since arriving in Pegasus, they've all taken on new roles. People like Sheppard carry guns, fight battles on the front lines but there's no denying that the scientists are the support soldiers , giving them the weapons to defeat the enemy.
He recalls a day when he had less than thirty-eight minutes to rescue a jumper filled with key expedition members. Lives rested with his expertise in technology and how he could apply that knowledge. Months went by and his capabilities were used to help save teammates...people he called friends in the lab. Now he runs down hallways with just his hands and a gun without question.
He pokes his head around the next corner, searching the darkness for the colonel. His teammate should be near by, but all that greets him are tricks of the light. If he calls out to Sheppard he'll attract the bad guys---but he knows deep inside that the people trying to kill them are just victims.
He creeps down the hall, copying the soldiers by staying glued to the wall. There's an odd odor in the air and his heartbeat ratchets up a notch. If he can smell the gas then he's so very close. His palms itch and he walks softly, searching the void for signs of life.
He hears a noise, every muscle in his body freezes and the gun shakes in his hand. At the end of the hall is a figure slumped on the floor.
It's Sheppard and he sprints over, trying to control his breathing.
“Colonel?” he whispers.
Zelenka places his hand on the pilot's shoulder and almost gets punched in the face for his effort.
“Radek!”
“Sorry... I… um...are you all right?”
It's a dumb question. Sheppard looks awful, pale and sweaty. The colonel sways badly as he tries to stand. Zelenka doesn't even wait for permission and slings one arm around his shoulder and starts moving.
The colonel trips, almost knocking them both down. Sheppard's skin is like ice and he's trembling badly, but forces one foot in front of the other.
“Where....are......”
Sheppard can't complete a sentence and Zelenka fills in the blanks. “Everyone has gone to the jumper. I came back to get you when it seemed like your plan wasn't going to work.”
“It...worked,” the pilot croaks.
Except for the part where the colonel was supposed to make it back with them but Zelenka doesn't mention that. Then it occurs to him to tap his radio.
“I've got Colonel Sheppard. We're heading back now.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Tell Sheppard he doesn't have any more of his nine lives to spare,” Rodney miffs.
Zelenka has a witty comeback except McKay screams in his ear about the two bad guys right around the corner. The air is knocked out of his lungs as his back hits the floor. His glasses are knocked away by the first punch; the second makes his head spin.
His finger pulls the trigger, firing blindly at the blur of scrub top material. He turns around at the sounds of a struggle beside him. There's a blob punching Sheppard and he aims the gun at the largest part of the fuzzy outline and shoots.
Rolling the dead body away, feeling the warm blood on his hands makes him want to gag. He searches the cold linoleum, finding his glasses, swallowing hard to control the terror and panic inside. Zelenka grabs the pilot's tac vest, yanks on it hard because he knows damn well he can't pull Sheppard up.
“Help me, Colonel.”
The pilot moans, but gets to his feet without toppling over. They make a good pair of drunks, both sore and woozy, but his ear piece is amazingly still intact. Rodney has been threatening them both for the past few minutes and that's always a great motivator. The escape to the jumper is a blur and so is dragging Sheppard into the hatch.
--------------------------------------------------
“I want to stay in the lab; this... this is posrat,” Zelenka curses.
Complaining alleviates his stress. It's an outlet over the fact that McKay is flying the jumper with a broken wrist, Sergeant Brier hasn't yelled at him yet and the only person with a fraction of any medical training is him.
“What's our ETA?” the sergeant barks.
“Two hours. If you think you can go outside and push to make it go any faster, be my guest!” Rodney shouts.
Miko comes over with a blanket for the colonel. She’s already placed one over Sergeant Peppers near the front and drapes it over Sheppard who lays on the floor of the jumper in the rear.
The pilot opens his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispers.
“How are you feeling?” Zelenka bends over to ask.
“Tired.....Everyone accounted for?”
“Yes, yes. We're all here.”
Brier makes his way towards the back and squats down next to his CO. “I wasn't going to leave you, sir.”
Sheppard shakes his head. “Never doubted it. You did a good job, Sergeant . You got everyone out of there.”
“You pulled off one hell of an escape plan, sir.” Brier looks over at Zelenka. “We'll talk later but Dr. Beckett wants you to switch to channel two.”
There's tension in the Marine's eyes and he adjusts his com to answer all the physician's questions. He adjusts the level of Pepper's feet, checking his breathing and pulse. Miko gets Brier's arm settled in a sling and hands him an ice pack for his face and jaw.
“Can you tell me your name and where we are?” Zelenka asks Herrington.
The younger man lays on his side on one of the benches, all his will power spent trying to be less of a burden till they made it.
“Most of the time it's ‘hey, kid’ and I think we're still in Hell.”
Zelenka sighs.
“Hello, the guy flying the ship would really like some pain medication before he passes out.”
Miko looks at Zelenka. “He is only worried about Colonel Sheppard. We should not be so hard on him.”
“Dr. Beckett says no pain meds while you're flying, Rodney. Miko can give you some aspirin,” Zelenka tells him.
“Oh, fabulous, tell Carson he's a sadist. And speaking of people flying, how's Sheppard?”
“Hold on, Carson is talking to me,” Zelenka tells him.
“You said a door exploded into him?”
“Yes.”
“How is his breathing?”
“Shallow and rapid.”
“And his skin tone?”
“Very pale and he is sweating.”
“What is his pulse like?”
Zelenka feels the pilot's neck, not liking what he's reporting. He did take basic first aid and knows how bad shock can be. “It's weak and very fast.”
“Did the bugger mention if he was in pain anywhere?”
“No. He was guarding his side for a while.”
“Which side?”
“Right.”
“Low or high?”
“High, I think.”
“How sensitive to pain is he there?”
Zelenka doesn't want to press on the poor man but he's very aware of all the eyes on him and he touches the pilot's stomach. He palpates each rib, reaching up to his arm pit.
Sheppard slaps his hand away. “Stop,” he gasps.
“It’s painful on the upper right side.”
“Okay, lad. Just keep him comfortable. Talk to him, try to keep him alert.”
They chat about McKay's bad piloting and the newest expansion to World of Warcraft, even though he knows the pilot doesn't play, preferring other video games. Sheppard answers with single words and bad jokes.
“You did .....good, Radek. Tell.....Miko....she's pretty bad ass with a gun,” Sheppard laughs weakly.
Three minutes later Zelenka wanders over to the cockpit. “How much longer?”
Rodney's bad wrist lays in his lap with an icepack and when he speaks every syllable ends in a snarl. “I've already told G.I Joe another half an hour. Maybe you should have asked him instead of pestering me. In fact, aren't you supposed to be playing nurse maid or something?”
“Colonel Sheppard lost consciousness a few minutes ago. I can't wake him up,” Zelenka tells him in a low voice.
Rodney pales even further and scans the instruments. “I...I've tried everything ......I can't get any more power to the engines.”
Zelenka lays a hand on his shoulder. “Just get us home.”
------------------------------------------------
Sheppard feels fuzzy, floating on a warm cloud, his body numb and tingling. He's not sore on the cold floor of a jumper. Lethargy seeps through his veins and the idea of sleep sets his mind on high alert. People...there were people who wanted to sleep so badly they'd gone insane.
He forces his crusted eyes open, takes in the spinning ceiling and the tingling becomes stabbing pin pricks.
“Sheppard?”
That was Rodney's voice.
“Hey, you.... go get Carson, tell him the colonel is awake.”
The room swims into a blur of halos and sounds. “What?”
“Oh, come on, there's no way you could forget our night with the zombies. I mean it was a bad Stephen King movie come to life.”
Sheppard focuses on McKay's face. “No...I remember them. How did I end up---”
“You didn't take into account that a steel door blown apart by an explosive device might have done something bad?”
“Thought...I just hit my head....hurt some ribs.”
“No, Colonel,” Carson says, coming into view. “You lacerated your liver, lad. From the bruise pattern I'd reckon the door handle whacked you the hardest. Blunt force trauma isn't anything to treat lightly.”
“Yeah, next time, tell us if your side is bothering you. Might save you forty stitches,” Rodney snipes.
Sheppard raises his eyebrows, not wanting to imagine the long incision line. “Never...had surgery before.”
“Wow, now you can strike that off your to-do-list.”
“Rodney!” Carson admonishes. “If you don't behave you can leave.”
“Are you okay?” Sheppard asks.
McKay sports a fresh cast and he looks at it a moment. “Fractured wrist, bruised ribs and my face looks ten shades of black and blue. Of course, you have a nice shiner, not that you can see it.”
“We match,” Sheppard rasps. He begins to feel the pull of heavy pain medication when his eyelids snap open again. “Peppers? Everyone else?”
“Where to begin?” Carson tuts. “Sergeant Peppers has a skull fracture, but there's no brain damage. Sergeant Brier broke his radius in two places and will need to replace a few molars. Dr. Herrington has a concussion, Zelenka has some bruising to the face and Miko was shaken up but not hurt. Your mission filled my infirmary all morning.”
“We need to ..find out...what happened. Take....a security team…back,” Sheppard says drowsily.
“I'll go tell everyone you're awake so they get outta my hair,” Carson says with a smile. “And, Rodney, you can finally leave now that you've seen for yourself that the colonel's goin' to be alright.”
“I think I'll go over some notes,” McKay's voice drifts over his head.
Sheppard wants to tell him to go away but is unable to resist the darkness that drags him under again.
-----------------------------
“So, you're the dungeon master?” Sheppard asks.
Zelenka nods. “I set up the rules of the campaign. Now I'm guessing you'll be a warrior?”
“Of course.”
The Czech shakes his head. “Human?”
“Yeah, stick close to what I know best.”
Miko hands him a die. “Roll this for your attributes: charm, intelligence, strength. See on the paper there; this will determine your character traits.”
Sheppard gives her a grin, making her blush as he rolls the die on the table meant for him to eat his meals from.
Herrington chuckles, shuffling pieces of paper and drawing a graph before sitting back down. “I can't believe you've never played, sir.”
“On the computer, yes, but I never did the pen and paper version as a kid. Moved around too much.” Sheppard chews on his lip, trying not to move too much and pull on his sutures.
The three scientists sit around his bed; all of them are off duty for the next few days. Zelenka scribbles in his notepad. “Rodney is still going over the data he downloaded, but it looks like the tests were done to see if they could have soldiers that could fight without needing sleep.”
“Lack of sleep and food… two things that can kill you without a bullet,” Sheppard drawls, disappointed that he doesn't have more hit points for his character.
“The outpost was Ancient and so was the experiment but we think the humans were part of some other group. They were not old enough,” Miko explains.
“Genii?” Sheppard asks.
“We don't know. Could be, or some other group of humans,” Zelenka answers before turning his attention to the quest. “We'll begin outside a cave.”
Herrington snorts. “Very creative.”
Zelenka points at Sheppard. “The man is on morphine. Just trying to keep it simple.”
“He can kick all our asses in military strategy. I still think you should give him a handicap,” the young kid argues.
“Hey,” Sheppard whines. “I'm laying flat on my back with tubes in me. I don't think I could be any more handicapped.”
Miko covers her mouth, chuckling.
“You think that first guy, the one who blew himself up, set all those other explosives?” Herrington asks.
Zelenka shrugs his shoulders. “It might have been a back up plan. It was obvious they were waiting on someone to bring a cure. Rodney thinks he set up his pod to wake him up first to make that determination. The whole chamber was designed so that anyone with the gene would active it upon entering.”
“Oh, you guys are not playing Dungeons and Dragons?” Rodney rolls his eyes, searching for a chair.
“Wanna play, McKay? We still need an elf,” Sheppard says grinning.
“Oh, you should be talking,” Rodney snorts.
Sheppard plays with his nasal cannula. “We really should invite Brier and Peppers.”
“Oh, please. I think Brier is busy spreading the glory of yet another Colonel Sheppard legend to your growing army of worshipers. And all the nurses are doting on Sergeant George Clooney,” Rodney says, grabbing a pad and paper. “Who's the DM?”
“I am,” Zelenka answers.
“Oh, please, Radek. You have the imagination of one of the grunts running around here.”
“McKay,” Sheppard warns.
“Whatever. So, hand me the dice.”
Sheppard lets out a contented sigh. “Okay, we're outside a cave, but there better be no bugs or zombies, Zelenka.”
-----------------------------
Original prompt
A story with John and team offworld with others (scientists or new recruits or whoever the author wants). Some kind of crisis event occurs, resulting in John and some others being injured. John downplays his injuries so he can get everyone back to Atlantis safely.
I went more towards John not realizing he was seriously injured..hope that was cool.
Another thanks to
ditraveler for the awesome drawings.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 07:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:34 pm (UTC)I've always believed that John wouldn't hide an injury..its just not him unless its a very, very odd case. I rather went with him being unaware in the heat of the moment and survival and not realize he was injured.
Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 10:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:36 pm (UTC)lol
no subject
Date: 2007-12-28 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 06:47 pm (UTC)And the drawings were awesome!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-26 10:00 pm (UTC)Awesome awesome!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-27 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-28 06:05 am (UTC)Anyhoo, this was great! I'm quite partial to the cool, deadly side of Sheppard, and I don't know what that says about me, but you showcased it very nicely here! I also enjoyed having more scientists in the mix - they must be a nightmare for the military, but I feel like their bravery is even more impressive because being in danger isn't required for them. Great story!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-28 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-29 01:03 am (UTC)Thank you!!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-28 02:20 pm (UTC)Loved this but the end was priceless. It was a nice little shout out to the fact that they really do have to rely on each other.
And of course, the whump wasn't bad either ;-)
no subject
Date: 2007-12-29 01:05 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed it!!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-28 07:33 pm (UTC)Wow! I loved this fic. It created such a creepy atmosphere and i enjoyed all of the other expedition characters who were working alongside our favourites. John and Rodney were on their usual form with all the banter.
I also love that John went off to protect them all and really was clueless to his injuries.
And Zombies! EEk!
Oh and the end bit too. Shep is such a geek! :D
no subject
Date: 2007-12-29 01:08 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-30 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-31 12:14 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-01 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-01 08:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-16 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-17 04:39 am (UTC)Also thank you. I'm a member of genrefinders and I tend to read/help others with topics and you're one of the few to ever give me FB in response to a post there.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-18 08:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 08:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 03:12 am (UTC)The drawings are fantastic...such wonderful illustration for your story...great fun.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-29 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-28 01:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-29 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-30 03:37 am (UTC)Almost forgot.... The artwork was most excellent and a great touch.