Angst, Week 1: Reckless Abandon (3/4)
Title: Reckless Abandon
Author: hollow_echos
Genre: Angst
Prompt: Collateral Damage
Word Count: 27,000
Rating: PG-13 (Language only)
Warnings: None
Summary: The team goes off world to help with a routine evacuation mission during a monsoon. Rodney’s left behind on the planet and water levels are rising. Our favorite scientist is left praying for a miracle and a last minute rescue from his teammates.
Notes: A huge shout out goes to Rusting_roses for her wonderful betaing, for listening to my frustrations with this fic, for helping me ironing out the plot, and for being an all around awesome person. This story might not have happened without her support.
[ Part One] [ Part Two] [ Part Three] [ Part Four]
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Chapter 7 - You’ll be Ok
The jumper settled onto the ground in the gate room and Sheppard dropped the back hatch. A waiting medical team rushed in through the open passage with a gurney. Carson was giving orders to have Rodney transferred to the rolling gurney and a moment later the group of medics was crowding on either side of the gurney as they headed off down the hallway toward the infirmary.
Sheppard craned his neck from his chair, watching the procession retreat as he sighed deeply. He threw a look at each Teyla and Ronon and rewarded them with a slight nod, "Good job guys. We got him back, that's what matters."
Ronon gave a grunt in affirmation and Teyla spoke, "When do you think Dr. Beckett will allow Rodney to take visitors?"
As Sheppard was closing the hatch he chewed on his lip for a minute in thought, "Carson? Probably awhile. He'll want to make sure Rodney's ok before he lets us in."
Teyla frowned in response, "Was his condition not improving on our trip back to Atlantis?"
Sheppard shrugged and then turned forward again as he raised the jumper off the floor and moved it through the hatch to the jumper bay to park it. Keeping his attention forward as he flew the ship he talked over his shoulder, "Carson said his temperature was still low. Getting that up is his first priority."
Ronon decided to chime in then too, "He'll be ok though, right? We got him back here for Beckett to do his stuff."
"He'll be fine, I'm sure. Beckett'll take care of him. I'm gonna go stake out a spot in the infirmary and wait if you guys want to come with," the Colonel said as he turned the jumper off and climbed to his feet, stabilizing himself against the jumper's equivalent of a dashboard as he did so.
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Two hours later a haggard looking Beckett walked up to the trio of Rodney's teammates to deliver a status report. Sheppard was trying to teach Teyla to play a game of cards, 'Go Fish' by the looks of it. Carson cleared his throat as he approached, the game stopped and Sheppard and Teyla immediately turned their attention to him. Sheppard put a light elbow jab into Ronon's ribs, causing the man to grumble a few times but he peaked an eye open and moved to sit up a bit straighter from where he had been drowsing.
"How is he?" Sheppard spoke first.
Carson sighed, "We're havin' a wee bit of trouble getting his temperature up. Colonel, that's actually why I came out, I was hoping you could come back at me. Maybe talk Rodney down. He's a bit more alert and none too happy about the state of things."
Sheppard's brow scrunched in confusion but he handed the cards over to Ronon and rose to his feet, "Oh. Of course. Is he ok?"
Beckett nodded, "We're moving him in the right direction. Hypothermia's a pesky business sometimes."
Carson saw that Teyla and Ronon were still watching him intently, perhaps expecting more of an explanation. "We're just working on getting him warmed up. The lad'll be fine as soon as we can get that much done. I'll come get the two of you as soon as we accomplish that."
That explanation seemed to be enough, Ronon nodded and looked at the cards in his hand, "So, you going to show me how this game's played?"
As she began motioning to some of the cards that were laid out on the table, pairs she had won from Sheppard, Beckett and Sheppard withdrew.
Sheppard kept up with Carson's brisk pace, "What's wrong with him?"
Beckett didn't speak for a moment. He kept his gaze turned ahead as he led the way back into one of the isolation rooms, closing the door firmly behind them. Sheppard took in the scene before him. There was a pair of burly orderlies standing off to the side, chatting amongst themselves. Rodney was lying on the bed stripped to his boxers, eyes closed. Beyond a lone IV attached to the back of one hand, all of Beckett's usual monitors were absent. Next to the gurney there was a large basin filled with water. He turned his head to Beckett next to him and whispered softly, "Carson, what's going on?"
The doctor moved up next to the bed and tapped McKay on the cheek. His patient slightly stirred but didn't snap like Rodney would have if he had been totally cognizant. Beckett frowned and pulled a vial of medication out of one of his coat pockets, taking a hypodermic from his nurse's outstretched hand. He filled it halfway and then administered it to Rodney's IV port. McKay let out a small pained wince and arched his back a bit as his hands clenched into fists. Carson laid a hand on the man's shoulder, "Easy lad. I know it stings a wee bit. You can't be falling asleep yet, Rodney."
"What did you just give him?" Sheppard asked.
"A stimulant."
John cocked his head a bit, stepping forward and resting a hand on the railing of the gurney "Aren't you always clamoring that Rodney needs to sleep more, the whole, 'there's nothing better than natural sleep' routine you like to give us?"
"Aye, normally, that'd be the case. Rodney's suffering a bit of exhaustion. He cannot sleep until we get his temperature all the way back up to normal. He's at risk of going into shock otherwise."
"Is it hurting him," Sheppard asked, failing to hide his concern at the reaction he'd just seen from Rodney.
"The medication stings a bit, but we need to keep him awake," he said as he stuck a thermometer into Rodney's ear. McKay raised a lip into a partial snarl as he tried to shake his head but Beckett didn't retreat, holding the implement steady, "That'll be enough of that, Rodney. Cooperate for me lad."
"Is that why you brought me back, to help keep him awake?"
Beckett shook his head, "We need to get him into the tub here. We've gotten the water as hot as Rodney will be able to stand. His temperature has hardly gone up at all."
John raised an eyebrow as he threw a glance at the orderlies standing in the corner, "You look like you have enough muscle to get that accomplished. Rodney hasn't binged on power bars often enough to put on enough weight to make that difficult."
The thermometer beeped and Carson read the reported value and shook his head, "We're at ninety-seven degrees, that's no good. Alright, let's go," he said, snapping his fingers at the orderlies.
The two responded to the motion, moving up to either side of the bed. Sheppard saw that one had a ring of bruising starting in around one eye.
Beckett spoke again, "We've tried twice. Last time he managed to get in a good knock on Persley here," he said, nodding at the one with the black eye.
Sheppard bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from letting a smirk creep across his face. It didn't surprise him that even incapacitated Rodney could cause a ruckus. As soon as one of the orderlies put a hand on Rodney's arm the man went rigid and twisted away to the other side of the bed, "No!"
Carson sighed, "Colonel, can you talk to him? I can't give him anything to calm him down; I just administered a stimulant, which will do the opposite in fact. I don't like the idea of forcing this on the lad but we can't wait any longer. His temperature has actually dropped a tenth of a degree and that's not the direction we need right now."
Sheppard nodded. The two orderlies backed off to give him a bit of room. John stepped up to the bed and laid a hand on Rodney's shoulder to turn him around so they were speaking face to face. His friend went rigid again and tried to shake it off but Sheppard tightened his grip and spoke, "Rodney, it's me, Sheppard. Wanna tell me what's going on here bud? Why aren't you letting Carson help you?"
The muscles in Rodney's shoulder slackened a bit and his tense posture slumped. The resistance gone, Sheppard rolled the man back over onto his back so that they were chatting while meeting each others' eyes. "Rodney?"
John frowned at the slight tremors he could feel running through Rodney's body. God, he was still really cold if he was shivering this far after the fact, "Rodney? I'm trying here but the doc's saying we can't wait. He wants to get you warmed up."
The scientist gave a soft sigh, "N-no. No more water, John." He wrapped his arms around his torso. Being out in the open air without any blanket or anything probably wasn't helping. It seemed Carson hadn't counted on Rodney being this resistant to treatment. The blanket, the monitors, all the normal things Beckett would've used if it were just Rodney resting in bed; they couldn't follow him into a tub of water.
Beckett had taken a step forward and opened his mouth to ask for elaboration, to understand why Rodney was being so combative. Sheppard threw the doctor a quick glance, shaking his head and holding a hand up for silence. He had just gotten Rodney talking, the last thing he wanted to do was to have him clam up again at the prospect of having to fend two of them off. He didn't want this to turn into an argument, that would be the surest thing to get Rodney to stop talking.
"No more water?"
"It was a flood out there...water e-everywhere. No...please," Rodney asked softly.
Sheppard grimaced. Rodney never said please. And that made this all the more difficult. He looked over at Beckett; the man's face was dipped into a frown. He got it now. Sheppard was wearing a similar expression, "Carson, is there any other option?" He didn't finish the thought, Rodney had a right not to want this...they'd just gotten a taste for what he'd been in for out there. He'd had hours and hours of rain and ocean and water in every direction without even knowing if they were coming back for him. Who would want to put a friend through something that was going to dredge up those memories? It would be like rubbing salt into an open wound.
Carson rubbed the back of his head and his shoulders dropped a bit, "No, Colonel. This is the fastest way. We need to do this, and soon. Rodney's looking pale."
John sighed and turned back to the scientist who had his eyes open a bit more than before, his gaze was locked on Sheppard's, "Rodney, Carson's saying you need this. You're too cold."
"Just...give me a f-few blankets and turn up the heat," Rodney pleaded, "I'm...not that cold," he tried to claim even as Sheppard could see the goose bumps freckling his exposed flesh.
Sheppard started to explain this again, "McKay-"
An impatient Beckett cut him off though as he stepped up to the other side of the bed, "Rodney, lad. We've tried the heat and warming blankets, it's not working. We need to try this now."
Rodney closed his eyes and shook his head, Beckett sighed.
Sheppard filled in the silence, "Rodney, I know it was scary out there, and very, very wet. We've gotten you back now and Beckett's just trying to get you back to normal. Let the doc do his stuff. Will you let him if I stay here?"
Rodney flicked his gaze between Sheppard and Carson but didn't say no outright. It was a sign that he was at least considering it. He addressed Beckett this time, "You won't send him away?"
"Of course he can stay, lad. Can we work on getting you warm now, Rodney?"
Rodney just barely dipped his chin; you had to be watching close to catch the nod. Beckett immediately slid right back into his doctoring demeanor, bringing his orderlies in from either side to help move his patient. One lifted from either side, Beckett busied himself stabilizing the IV so that it wasn't jostled when they moved him over.
While the three medical personnel were focusing on physically transferring Rodney, John kept his eyes glued to Rodney's face, watching his reaction. The man looked down at the water once, a sense of apprehension bleeding through his carefully neutral expression. The scientist's breath hitched and he turned his eyes away to the ceiling as his feet were first lowered into the water followed quickly but the rest of him. As he was lowered in up to his chest Rodney shot out one hand and clamped it around the edge of the steel tub in a vice grip, halting his body from sinking any further into the water.
"Rodney, lad, just a bit more. We want to get you all the way in."
Sheppard took two large strides and was immediately edging his way past one of the orderlies to crouch next to the tub.
Rodney was breathing very rapidly, his eyes shooting around the room until they locked onto John's face, "I'm...not going under. No. I thought I was going to end like that on that planet, me at the bottom of the ocean."
John nodded an understanding but began gently loosening Rodney's grip on the edge of the tub, "We came for you McKay. You're ok now. Look," he said, motioning to the tub.
Rodney reluctantly followed Sheppard's gaze down to the water. John dipped a hand into the tub, "It's not that deep. You won't go under. Just up to your neck. It's just going to warm you up."
McKay took a gulp but nodded and lowered himself all the way into the basin, the water lapping against his skin an inch or so below his chin. "Ok," he said quietly.
Beckett gave something akin to an approving cluck. He checked the IV one last time and submerged part of a finger in the water to test the temperature. Apparently satisfied, he met Sheppard's gaze once and whispered a soft thank you before withdrawing with his two orderlies to give the pair some privacy.
The door clicked shut behind them and Sheppard turned back to Rodney. Rodney had relinquished his grip on the edge of the tub but had locked his hand around Sheppard's instead. John didn't move to pull it away, content to let it get a little wet if it would calm his panicky friend. "You're ok, McKay?"
"It's wet...but it's warm," he said, offering no further explanation.
John answered in a tone that left no room for argument or doubt, "You'll be ok, McKay."
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Chapter 8 - Bust this Joint
Carson cracked the door open the next morning. They'd removed Rodney from the water a few hours after putting him in. They had gotten him dried off and into a dry set of clothes, and then settled him back into bed. Rodney had been close to catatonic by then. Beckett had stressed the importance of keeping McKay awake until he was past the worst of the hypothermia. As soon as they had reached that point, the man had passed out before Beckett had even gotten him under one of their thicker blankets he kept in the infirmary.
He lightened his footsteps against the ground automatically as he passed through the doorway and into the room, padding over next to the bed. The monitor readouts looked normal and Beckett nodded in approval. For once Rodney might have presented with a simple case of hypothermia. Scary as hell when they first brought him, but his temperature had been stable all night. They had replenished his hydration levels with the IV, and assuming that Rodney would eat a hearty meal this morning, he would be well along the road to making a full recovery.
Carson turned his attention from Rodney to Sheppard who had fallen asleep dosing in the chair next to the bed. He smiled and gently tapped the man on the shoulder, "Colonel, you awake?"
The man didn't snap awake like he sometimes did, a reflex honed from years in the field as a soldier. Instead, he arched his back with a groan and sat up, blinking his eyes open a few times and looking around for the cause of the disturbance. His gaze became more focused as he looked up at Carson, "Yeah, I am now. What's up," he whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Just thought I'd check in with you. Rodney's looking much better this morning. And I wanted to thank you for your help with him last night."
Sheppard nodded, "He was scared. You just have to know how to talk him down."
"Aye, I'm normally ok with that...but for some reason Rodney wasn't responsive last night," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He wasn't used to having to ask for help with providing adequate medical care for one of his patients.
Still speaking in a gravelly tone, Sheppard responded, "Rodney, he's a special case. His mind just gets going so fast, convincing himself that the worst that could happen will happen. Throw that into the mix with exhaustion...it does strange things with the mind."
Carson frowned, "You lose your voice lad? Your speech is a bit rough this morning."
Sheppard gave an affirming nod, "Rodney wasn't going to stay awake to just to stare at the wall last night, I had to give him some incentive. I ended up telling him stories about anything and everything last night. It was a very one-sided conversation, but he listened and it kept him conscious."
"Aye, you did well with him last night. Your throat raw enough to be bothering you?"
"Doc, it's fine. Just focus on Rodney. I've had worse."
"I'd not doubt it. I've had you in here enough to know that. But just because you've had worse doesn't mean that you need to be suffering. I'll have a nurse bring something by for you later."
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A few hours later found Rodney awake and watching the Scottish physician flitting around his bed, "Carson, stop running in circles around me. You're making me dizzy. Just come sit down and tell me that I'm not going to die."
Carson emitted a hearty chuckle and he plopped down in the chair next to the bed that had been vacated by Sheppard. Beckett had forced him to leave to go take a shower and grab some food before coming back. "Aye, you'll not being dying on my watch. Everything looks much better today."
"Good. Glad to see that your doctoring skills haven't gotten rusty in my absence," he muttered in his normal caustic manner, "I am the only one around here who gives you regular work. I really should stake out a permanent spot in here, maybe a bed by the nurses' station. You always did love to surround yourself with beautiful women. Hell, you'd probably be out of a job without me around."
"Rodney, you were only gone a day or so. I doubt my years of training would be eroded significantly in that short a time period."
"It felt a lot longer," he said, a bit more quietly this time.
Beckett sat forward in the chair, "You're back now, Rodney and doing well."
Rodney's moment ended and his mask snapped back into place, "Well enough for you to give me a computer? I lost mine on that planet and I want to get some equations transferred over before I forget them."
"Aye, because you are likely to forget anything with that memory of yours. And you know the answer to that question already."
Rodney shook his head, "I know, I know. No computers in the infirmary. Can't blame a man for trying, can you," he asked, looking up at Carson.
"I'd be more worried that something was wrong if you didn't try."
The conversation was cut short as the door opened and the colonel walked in, leaning against the door after he'd closed it.
"Ready to bust this joint, McKay?"
Rodney's brow scrunched in confusion and he looked at the doctor expectantly, "What is he talking about?"
Beckett stood back up and cracked his back, "You're doing extremely well. I'm willing to release you today if you agree to take it easy. You don't seem to be at risk for hypothermia anymore."
"Really?" He asked in disbelief. Carson never released him this early.
"Aye, but that means no lab work until tomorrow at the earliest. And you aren't to be out and about without the Colonel or someone else. I want someone nearby in case you start feeling worse for any reason."
Rodney nodded in agreement, "Ok. I can agree to that." He wasn't thrilled on having a human shadow, but he wanted to get out of here more. He'd put up with it if it meant he could get back into the city. He also couldn't help thinking that if he was kept here, Sheppard might eventually get tired of sitting around. No, he hadn't been left alone for one second yet, and between Beckett's staff and John, he'd been accompanied all the time, but the fact was comforting and he hadn't tired of the sensation yet. He'd been alone for so long, out there in the ocean, that just the sense of peace that came with having another human being in close physical proximity had a calming effect. He'd never admit the fact, but he didn't know if he was ready to be alone again. He'd be willing to play the shadow, even, trail Sheppard around for the day, if it meant that he didn't have to go back to the suffocating sense of apprehension that came with being alone.
"Alright then, let's get that IV out," Beckett added reaching for the hand that attached to the IV.
Sheppard pulled a bundle from behind his back and threw it onto Rodney's lap with a precise throw that suggested practice, "Here, figured you didn't want to go waltzing about the city in a pair of Beckett's scrubs, as fashionable as they are. I grabbed a spare uniform from your room."
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Sheppard slowed his pace as he waited for McKay to catch up. Although his sarcasm was operating full tilt, the scientist had been very cooperative for the most part. Rodney had tried to make a quick stop in his lab right after they left the infirmary, but after Sheppard put that idea to rest he hadn't made a fuss of it.
"How are you doing McKay," he asked as Rodney fell into step next to him and they made their way along the hallway.
"Fine. Just like ten minutes ago when you last asked."
"You sure? Because you normally aren't interested in my errands."
Rodney rolled his eyes, "What's not to love about guns and explosives," he answered in response, referring to the stop they'd just made at the armory. Sheppard had wanted to check on the latest weapons shipment that the Daedelus had dropped off.
Sheppard shrugged, "For you? Everything. You're always saying that they distract me from the more important things, like the gadgets brought back by different teams on off world trips that you find so fascinating."
"It's fine. I know you have stuff to do other than babysitting me. I, on the other hand, suddenly have a clear schedule. I'm not allowed in the lab, and apparently I'm also not allowed to be in radio contact with Zelenka."
Sheppard held up his hands in a defensive posture as they halted outside the transporter, "Hey, not my fault. Carson made a list. You know he means business when he writes down directions for me. There are lots of things I'm not supposed to let you do."
McKay scowled, "He made a list? I'm not a child that needs to be watched and slapped on the wrist every time I disobey an order."
"Yeah, he seemed pretty convinced that I might not be the best companion for you...he was going to put Ronon on this detail. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of promising to change his mind. Ok, and maybe I let Ronon join another team for the day. He was itching for something to do. Some grain trading mission, nothing too exciting, but he was grateful for the break in the monotony."
"I want to see this list. What else has Carson put out of bounds?"
Sheppard smiled and pulled the crinkled piece of paper out of his vest pocket. The first item on the list, scribbled in Beckett's messy hand, was in all caps and underlined three times proclaiming no lab work was to be permitted. Beckett had been able to come up with a pretty good laundry list of all the things Rodney wasn't allowed to do. "How 'bout I just tell you when getting close to violating one of Carson's rules? He's just trying to look out for you; we don't need to ride him too hard about it."
"Oh come on, I'd rather know everything I'm not allowed to do right off the bat so I can focus on finding things that I can find to entertain myself."
"That's what I'm worried about. You searching for loopholes. Look, if something happens, it's my butt on the line here. And I mean that in the literal sense of the word. Carson's promised some none-too-kind vaccinations in an unpleasant location if I don't keep you out of trouble."
While Sheppard had been speaking McKay had crossed the distance between them and snatched the paper from the colonel's hands, turning his back to defend against Sheppard trying to grab it back. He stepped into the transporter with the colonel on his heels. "I'm not allowed to fly a jumper? Why does he even think that I would want to do that in my spare time?"
"Eh, that might have been my fault...just a bit. There was the one time we went out together when I still apparently had the residual effects of a sedative in my bloodstream? I think that went against the 'don't operate heavy machinery when high' rule."
"You were bored and I took pity on you. No one got hurt!"
"We crash landed on the pier because I was too dizzy to fly and your flying skills leave much to be desired," Sheppard answered as he keyed in a destination on the transporter's control panel.
"We were both fine," McKay retorted as he took another step into the jumper to avoid getting hit by the doors as they closed.
"We almost caused Carson a heart attack. He's just covering his bases. Maybe making sure I don't return the favor?"
"Yeah, some favor that would be. Us following that suicidal streak of yours," he barked a bit gruffly. They didn't always get in trouble when you put the two of them together. "Fine, that one may have a bit of basis. But I'd like to see you explain this one, 'No-'"
Sheppard immediately turned to face Mckay as his voice cut out. He spun fast enough to see the paper drop from McKay's hand and twirl like a pair of helicopter blades to the ground. Rodney crossed his arms in front of him and let out a shuttering breath. "Rodney, you ok?"
"Just a small chill. It's c-cold in here," he said through chattering teeth.
Sheppard looked down at his own arms; he'd just rolled up his sleeves because he was uncomfortably hot. "It's a normal temperature in here, Rodney."
Rodney's head had dropped to his chest and his spine bent as he hunched over to try to keep himself warm, "For your information, Sheppard, people can be comfortable at different temperatures. We weren't all raised in frigid climates."
Sheppard stepped forward to help the man straighten up and prevent him from falling forward, he was looking a bit precarious on his feet, "McKay, you are used to cold temperatures. You're from Canada and spent how many years at the Antarctic base?"
"And maybe I've gotten used to the tropical conditions we get here, think of that Colonel," he snapped back harshly and tried to shake Sheppard off without success.
"We're going back to see Beckett. He said if you were feeling off to come right back, this qualifies," Sheppard said in a serious tone. He rekeyed a command for the transporter to deliver them near the infirmary.
Rodney stopped trying to fend off the grip but that didn't restrain the anger in of his voice, "If you want to ditch me and have better stuff to do, fine, drop me off in my room. Don't make up excuses to try to get rid of me."
Sheppard didn't rise to the bait, carefully leveling his voice, "You're not ok and we're going back. Not because I don't want to spend time with you, I'll stay. But something's off and Carson needs to know. End of discussion." The transporter opened and John began walking McKay down to see Beckett about this latest development.
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Chapter 9 - It’s Complicated
Rodney was sitting in the isolation room again. He was alone at the moment, Sheppard had left to go find Beckett and drag him in here to take a look at him. He was sitting in the chair next to the bed; he wasn't too keen on going back to lying around fulltime. There were so many better uses of his time than occupying a bed.
He turned his head toward the door as it opened and Sheppard came in, closely followed by Beckett. "Carson," he acknowledged, nodding his head.
"Rodney, Sheppard's telling me you got a bit chilled when you were out in the city. This so?"
"It's not a big deal; Sheppard was playing it way too cautious. Although we need to consider that you gave him a list of all the things we weren't allowed to do and promised bodily harm if anything happened to me when I was out of your clutches," he said a bit angrily. The micromanaging they were pulling here was ridiculous and he wasn't going to pretend like it wasn't bothering him.
Beckett walked over to him leaving Sheppard to stand in front of the closed door, "Aye, and with good reason it seems," he said, nodding to the blanket covering Rodney's legs.
McKay looked down at it, scrunching one corner of it in a closed fist; it'd just been sitting on the bed, going unused. And he was maybe a little cold. It wasn't his fault that the rest of the expedition members liked colder temperatures.
"Carson, I spent a good portion of a day out in a monsoon. You would think that would grant me enough leeway to feel a bit cold after that."
Beckett stood at the foot of the bed and motioned for McKay to hop up on the edge. McKay shook his head but complied. As he threw the blanket back on the bed and climbed up Beckett flipped through the latest entries in Rodney's chart that summarized all of the readouts from the various monitors he'd been attached to overnight. "Everything looked normal when I released you. You shouldn't be suffering a delayed reaction like this," he said as he set the data pad on the nearest counter. He then pulled a thermometer out of the case he had slid into his pocket when Sheppard had come to find him.
He stuck the thermometer's tip in McKay's ear but the man jerked his head, "Hey! What happened to the 'under the tongue' version? Getting foreign objects shoved in my ear wasn't on the list of things I wanted to do."
"Aye, and getting verbally abused by a scientist wasn't on my list either. Seems we both sore out of luck today," Beckett said in a joking tone as he laid his other hand on Rodney's head to stabilize it so he could get a proper reading. "And I use the ear thermometer with you because I've tried it enough times to know you can't keep your mouth shut that long."
"Hey!"
The thermometer shifted a bit as a round of laugher shook the physician's body, "See what I mean? Now Rodney, how about you tell me how you've been feeling?"
The scientist tapped his fingers in his lap, "The rest of the city is colder than in here. In here is nice. But I can't stay cooped up in here forever. I guess I'll just need to get reacclimated to the environment in the rest of the city."
The thermometer beeped and McKay shook his head a few times as Beckett withdrew it and looked at the number, frowning slightly, "You're temperature is down a wee bit."
McKay groaned, being kept in here for longer was the last thing we wanted right now, "How bad is it?"
"Ninety-eight even. Not bad enough for me to be worrying too much on its own, but the fact remains it shouldn't be happening at all."
McKay shot Beckett a puzzling expression, "What do you mean it shouldn't be happening?"
"We don't normally see a relapse into hypothermia once a patient has been removed from the environmental conditions that brought it on. You're back in the city, out of the rain and the cold, so it's strange that this is happening."
"Ok...so what does it mean if I am having an irregular relapse," Mckay asked with a tingle of irritation at the lack of a clear explanation.
"Could be a psychological component to it. I've seen it before. The mind's capable of doing a lot, including sometimes convincing the body that it should react in a way it really shouldn't. For example, a relapse of hypothermia."
"Great, so you're basically telling me I'm nuts. Is that it," McKay snapped back.
"Easy Rodney. I'm not implying that at all. Have you been thinking about the...experience a lot recently?"
Rodney leveled him with an impatient stare, "Carson, if you were left out on a planet by yourself for several hours to think that you would die, would you shake it from your mind like last week's dirty laundry?"
"I know it was a difficult situation-"
"No, difficult is not an adequate description for what I went through. How about impossible," he added with pure venom in his voice as he went on the defensive.
Beckett looked over to meet Sheppard's gaze but the man was looking at the ground guiltily. As if this was his fault. Beckett made a mental note to have another conversation with the Colonel about beating himself up for something that was beyond his control. It wouldn't do anyone good.
Carson took a deep breath and turned back toward his patient, "Rodney, calm down. I am not belittling what happened. I'm trying to say that it's understandable to be thinking about it a lot right now, and even for awhile into the coming days. And it could explain what's happening with the hypothermia. If it is, that's better than some complication. If that's all it is I'll take that as a good thing."
"Fine. If that's the explanation you want to run with and it'll get me out of here faster then we'll go with that," he finished, leveling out his voice at the end of his statement as he calmed down some. McKay stuck a finger in his ear to scratch the itch that had taken root there, "So where do we go from here?"
Beckett picked the data pad back up to put a note of it in Rodney's chart with the latest temperature reading, "You stay here for a bit longer, we'll get your temp back up again and evaluate what to do then."
"So I'm stuck here?"
"Aye, it seems to be the case. I'll have a nurse bring in a new set of scrubs and I'll be back in to run a few tests later on. Did you get a chance to hit the mess?"
"We were on our way there when Sheppard decided we needed to come back down here."
"Then I'll send for a meal as well. Any preferences?"
"Something solid would be nice, some real food, none of the vegetable stuff you like to put on my plate," he said, scrunching his face up a bit at the thought. Some things that Carson tried to feed him...
"Alright. I'll have them bring it up," Beckett said as he moved toward the door, Sheppard moving out of the way as he opened the door.
As Sheppard put a foot into the hallway McKay reacted, "You're leaving," he asked, perhaps a bit more panicked than he had intended for it to be.
"I figured you'd want to rest for awhile," the Colonel responded as he paused and looked back.
McKay was fiddling with the edge of the blanket, "Oh...I guess. You can go if you want. I'll be ok," he said unconvincingly.
Sheppard walked back into the room, "I'll stay."
"Really, you can go, I'm just going to be sitting here. No need for two of us to suffer the boredom," he said, trying to deflect his moment of weakness and end the awkward moment as rapidly as possible.
John slumped down in the chair next to the bed and perched his feet on the railing of the bed, "Eh, last I heard Elizabeth was looking for me. Something about some mission reports she wanted more details on. And we know how much I love paperwork," he finished with a smirk. It wasn't a total lie; Elizabeth had sent him an e-mail about it the other day. And hey, if it eased Rodney's embarrassment at his sudden panicked outburst at the thought of being left alone again, it was worth it.
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Concluded in Part Four
Author: hollow_echos
Genre: Angst
Prompt: Collateral Damage
Word Count: 27,000
Rating: PG-13 (Language only)
Warnings: None
Summary: The team goes off world to help with a routine evacuation mission during a monsoon. Rodney’s left behind on the planet and water levels are rising. Our favorite scientist is left praying for a miracle and a last minute rescue from his teammates.
Notes: A huge shout out goes to Rusting_roses for her wonderful betaing, for listening to my frustrations with this fic, for helping me ironing out the plot, and for being an all around awesome person. This story might not have happened without her support.
[ Part One] [ Part Two] [ Part Three] [ Part Four]
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Chapter 7 - You’ll be Ok
The jumper settled onto the ground in the gate room and Sheppard dropped the back hatch. A waiting medical team rushed in through the open passage with a gurney. Carson was giving orders to have Rodney transferred to the rolling gurney and a moment later the group of medics was crowding on either side of the gurney as they headed off down the hallway toward the infirmary.
Sheppard craned his neck from his chair, watching the procession retreat as he sighed deeply. He threw a look at each Teyla and Ronon and rewarded them with a slight nod, "Good job guys. We got him back, that's what matters."
Ronon gave a grunt in affirmation and Teyla spoke, "When do you think Dr. Beckett will allow Rodney to take visitors?"
As Sheppard was closing the hatch he chewed on his lip for a minute in thought, "Carson? Probably awhile. He'll want to make sure Rodney's ok before he lets us in."
Teyla frowned in response, "Was his condition not improving on our trip back to Atlantis?"
Sheppard shrugged and then turned forward again as he raised the jumper off the floor and moved it through the hatch to the jumper bay to park it. Keeping his attention forward as he flew the ship he talked over his shoulder, "Carson said his temperature was still low. Getting that up is his first priority."
Ronon decided to chime in then too, "He'll be ok though, right? We got him back here for Beckett to do his stuff."
"He'll be fine, I'm sure. Beckett'll take care of him. I'm gonna go stake out a spot in the infirmary and wait if you guys want to come with," the Colonel said as he turned the jumper off and climbed to his feet, stabilizing himself against the jumper's equivalent of a dashboard as he did so.
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Two hours later a haggard looking Beckett walked up to the trio of Rodney's teammates to deliver a status report. Sheppard was trying to teach Teyla to play a game of cards, 'Go Fish' by the looks of it. Carson cleared his throat as he approached, the game stopped and Sheppard and Teyla immediately turned their attention to him. Sheppard put a light elbow jab into Ronon's ribs, causing the man to grumble a few times but he peaked an eye open and moved to sit up a bit straighter from where he had been drowsing.
"How is he?" Sheppard spoke first.
Carson sighed, "We're havin' a wee bit of trouble getting his temperature up. Colonel, that's actually why I came out, I was hoping you could come back at me. Maybe talk Rodney down. He's a bit more alert and none too happy about the state of things."
Sheppard's brow scrunched in confusion but he handed the cards over to Ronon and rose to his feet, "Oh. Of course. Is he ok?"
Beckett nodded, "We're moving him in the right direction. Hypothermia's a pesky business sometimes."
Carson saw that Teyla and Ronon were still watching him intently, perhaps expecting more of an explanation. "We're just working on getting him warmed up. The lad'll be fine as soon as we can get that much done. I'll come get the two of you as soon as we accomplish that."
That explanation seemed to be enough, Ronon nodded and looked at the cards in his hand, "So, you going to show me how this game's played?"
As she began motioning to some of the cards that were laid out on the table, pairs she had won from Sheppard, Beckett and Sheppard withdrew.
Sheppard kept up with Carson's brisk pace, "What's wrong with him?"
Beckett didn't speak for a moment. He kept his gaze turned ahead as he led the way back into one of the isolation rooms, closing the door firmly behind them. Sheppard took in the scene before him. There was a pair of burly orderlies standing off to the side, chatting amongst themselves. Rodney was lying on the bed stripped to his boxers, eyes closed. Beyond a lone IV attached to the back of one hand, all of Beckett's usual monitors were absent. Next to the gurney there was a large basin filled with water. He turned his head to Beckett next to him and whispered softly, "Carson, what's going on?"
The doctor moved up next to the bed and tapped McKay on the cheek. His patient slightly stirred but didn't snap like Rodney would have if he had been totally cognizant. Beckett frowned and pulled a vial of medication out of one of his coat pockets, taking a hypodermic from his nurse's outstretched hand. He filled it halfway and then administered it to Rodney's IV port. McKay let out a small pained wince and arched his back a bit as his hands clenched into fists. Carson laid a hand on the man's shoulder, "Easy lad. I know it stings a wee bit. You can't be falling asleep yet, Rodney."
"What did you just give him?" Sheppard asked.
"A stimulant."
John cocked his head a bit, stepping forward and resting a hand on the railing of the gurney "Aren't you always clamoring that Rodney needs to sleep more, the whole, 'there's nothing better than natural sleep' routine you like to give us?"
"Aye, normally, that'd be the case. Rodney's suffering a bit of exhaustion. He cannot sleep until we get his temperature all the way back up to normal. He's at risk of going into shock otherwise."
"Is it hurting him," Sheppard asked, failing to hide his concern at the reaction he'd just seen from Rodney.
"The medication stings a bit, but we need to keep him awake," he said as he stuck a thermometer into Rodney's ear. McKay raised a lip into a partial snarl as he tried to shake his head but Beckett didn't retreat, holding the implement steady, "That'll be enough of that, Rodney. Cooperate for me lad."
"Is that why you brought me back, to help keep him awake?"
Beckett shook his head, "We need to get him into the tub here. We've gotten the water as hot as Rodney will be able to stand. His temperature has hardly gone up at all."
John raised an eyebrow as he threw a glance at the orderlies standing in the corner, "You look like you have enough muscle to get that accomplished. Rodney hasn't binged on power bars often enough to put on enough weight to make that difficult."
The thermometer beeped and Carson read the reported value and shook his head, "We're at ninety-seven degrees, that's no good. Alright, let's go," he said, snapping his fingers at the orderlies.
The two responded to the motion, moving up to either side of the bed. Sheppard saw that one had a ring of bruising starting in around one eye.
Beckett spoke again, "We've tried twice. Last time he managed to get in a good knock on Persley here," he said, nodding at the one with the black eye.
Sheppard bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from letting a smirk creep across his face. It didn't surprise him that even incapacitated Rodney could cause a ruckus. As soon as one of the orderlies put a hand on Rodney's arm the man went rigid and twisted away to the other side of the bed, "No!"
Carson sighed, "Colonel, can you talk to him? I can't give him anything to calm him down; I just administered a stimulant, which will do the opposite in fact. I don't like the idea of forcing this on the lad but we can't wait any longer. His temperature has actually dropped a tenth of a degree and that's not the direction we need right now."
Sheppard nodded. The two orderlies backed off to give him a bit of room. John stepped up to the bed and laid a hand on Rodney's shoulder to turn him around so they were speaking face to face. His friend went rigid again and tried to shake it off but Sheppard tightened his grip and spoke, "Rodney, it's me, Sheppard. Wanna tell me what's going on here bud? Why aren't you letting Carson help you?"
The muscles in Rodney's shoulder slackened a bit and his tense posture slumped. The resistance gone, Sheppard rolled the man back over onto his back so that they were chatting while meeting each others' eyes. "Rodney?"
John frowned at the slight tremors he could feel running through Rodney's body. God, he was still really cold if he was shivering this far after the fact, "Rodney? I'm trying here but the doc's saying we can't wait. He wants to get you warmed up."
The scientist gave a soft sigh, "N-no. No more water, John." He wrapped his arms around his torso. Being out in the open air without any blanket or anything probably wasn't helping. It seemed Carson hadn't counted on Rodney being this resistant to treatment. The blanket, the monitors, all the normal things Beckett would've used if it were just Rodney resting in bed; they couldn't follow him into a tub of water.
Beckett had taken a step forward and opened his mouth to ask for elaboration, to understand why Rodney was being so combative. Sheppard threw the doctor a quick glance, shaking his head and holding a hand up for silence. He had just gotten Rodney talking, the last thing he wanted to do was to have him clam up again at the prospect of having to fend two of them off. He didn't want this to turn into an argument, that would be the surest thing to get Rodney to stop talking.
"No more water?"
"It was a flood out there...water e-everywhere. No...please," Rodney asked softly.
Sheppard grimaced. Rodney never said please. And that made this all the more difficult. He looked over at Beckett; the man's face was dipped into a frown. He got it now. Sheppard was wearing a similar expression, "Carson, is there any other option?" He didn't finish the thought, Rodney had a right not to want this...they'd just gotten a taste for what he'd been in for out there. He'd had hours and hours of rain and ocean and water in every direction without even knowing if they were coming back for him. Who would want to put a friend through something that was going to dredge up those memories? It would be like rubbing salt into an open wound.
Carson rubbed the back of his head and his shoulders dropped a bit, "No, Colonel. This is the fastest way. We need to do this, and soon. Rodney's looking pale."
John sighed and turned back to the scientist who had his eyes open a bit more than before, his gaze was locked on Sheppard's, "Rodney, Carson's saying you need this. You're too cold."
"Just...give me a f-few blankets and turn up the heat," Rodney pleaded, "I'm...not that cold," he tried to claim even as Sheppard could see the goose bumps freckling his exposed flesh.
Sheppard started to explain this again, "McKay-"
An impatient Beckett cut him off though as he stepped up to the other side of the bed, "Rodney, lad. We've tried the heat and warming blankets, it's not working. We need to try this now."
Rodney closed his eyes and shook his head, Beckett sighed.
Sheppard filled in the silence, "Rodney, I know it was scary out there, and very, very wet. We've gotten you back now and Beckett's just trying to get you back to normal. Let the doc do his stuff. Will you let him if I stay here?"
Rodney flicked his gaze between Sheppard and Carson but didn't say no outright. It was a sign that he was at least considering it. He addressed Beckett this time, "You won't send him away?"
"Of course he can stay, lad. Can we work on getting you warm now, Rodney?"
Rodney just barely dipped his chin; you had to be watching close to catch the nod. Beckett immediately slid right back into his doctoring demeanor, bringing his orderlies in from either side to help move his patient. One lifted from either side, Beckett busied himself stabilizing the IV so that it wasn't jostled when they moved him over.
While the three medical personnel were focusing on physically transferring Rodney, John kept his eyes glued to Rodney's face, watching his reaction. The man looked down at the water once, a sense of apprehension bleeding through his carefully neutral expression. The scientist's breath hitched and he turned his eyes away to the ceiling as his feet were first lowered into the water followed quickly but the rest of him. As he was lowered in up to his chest Rodney shot out one hand and clamped it around the edge of the steel tub in a vice grip, halting his body from sinking any further into the water.
"Rodney, lad, just a bit more. We want to get you all the way in."
Sheppard took two large strides and was immediately edging his way past one of the orderlies to crouch next to the tub.
Rodney was breathing very rapidly, his eyes shooting around the room until they locked onto John's face, "I'm...not going under. No. I thought I was going to end like that on that planet, me at the bottom of the ocean."
John nodded an understanding but began gently loosening Rodney's grip on the edge of the tub, "We came for you McKay. You're ok now. Look," he said, motioning to the tub.
Rodney reluctantly followed Sheppard's gaze down to the water. John dipped a hand into the tub, "It's not that deep. You won't go under. Just up to your neck. It's just going to warm you up."
McKay took a gulp but nodded and lowered himself all the way into the basin, the water lapping against his skin an inch or so below his chin. "Ok," he said quietly.
Beckett gave something akin to an approving cluck. He checked the IV one last time and submerged part of a finger in the water to test the temperature. Apparently satisfied, he met Sheppard's gaze once and whispered a soft thank you before withdrawing with his two orderlies to give the pair some privacy.
The door clicked shut behind them and Sheppard turned back to Rodney. Rodney had relinquished his grip on the edge of the tub but had locked his hand around Sheppard's instead. John didn't move to pull it away, content to let it get a little wet if it would calm his panicky friend. "You're ok, McKay?"
"It's wet...but it's warm," he said, offering no further explanation.
John answered in a tone that left no room for argument or doubt, "You'll be ok, McKay."
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Chapter 8 - Bust this Joint
Carson cracked the door open the next morning. They'd removed Rodney from the water a few hours after putting him in. They had gotten him dried off and into a dry set of clothes, and then settled him back into bed. Rodney had been close to catatonic by then. Beckett had stressed the importance of keeping McKay awake until he was past the worst of the hypothermia. As soon as they had reached that point, the man had passed out before Beckett had even gotten him under one of their thicker blankets he kept in the infirmary.
He lightened his footsteps against the ground automatically as he passed through the doorway and into the room, padding over next to the bed. The monitor readouts looked normal and Beckett nodded in approval. For once Rodney might have presented with a simple case of hypothermia. Scary as hell when they first brought him, but his temperature had been stable all night. They had replenished his hydration levels with the IV, and assuming that Rodney would eat a hearty meal this morning, he would be well along the road to making a full recovery.
Carson turned his attention from Rodney to Sheppard who had fallen asleep dosing in the chair next to the bed. He smiled and gently tapped the man on the shoulder, "Colonel, you awake?"
The man didn't snap awake like he sometimes did, a reflex honed from years in the field as a soldier. Instead, he arched his back with a groan and sat up, blinking his eyes open a few times and looking around for the cause of the disturbance. His gaze became more focused as he looked up at Carson, "Yeah, I am now. What's up," he whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Just thought I'd check in with you. Rodney's looking much better this morning. And I wanted to thank you for your help with him last night."
Sheppard nodded, "He was scared. You just have to know how to talk him down."
"Aye, I'm normally ok with that...but for some reason Rodney wasn't responsive last night," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He wasn't used to having to ask for help with providing adequate medical care for one of his patients.
Still speaking in a gravelly tone, Sheppard responded, "Rodney, he's a special case. His mind just gets going so fast, convincing himself that the worst that could happen will happen. Throw that into the mix with exhaustion...it does strange things with the mind."
Carson frowned, "You lose your voice lad? Your speech is a bit rough this morning."
Sheppard gave an affirming nod, "Rodney wasn't going to stay awake to just to stare at the wall last night, I had to give him some incentive. I ended up telling him stories about anything and everything last night. It was a very one-sided conversation, but he listened and it kept him conscious."
"Aye, you did well with him last night. Your throat raw enough to be bothering you?"
"Doc, it's fine. Just focus on Rodney. I've had worse."
"I'd not doubt it. I've had you in here enough to know that. But just because you've had worse doesn't mean that you need to be suffering. I'll have a nurse bring something by for you later."
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A few hours later found Rodney awake and watching the Scottish physician flitting around his bed, "Carson, stop running in circles around me. You're making me dizzy. Just come sit down and tell me that I'm not going to die."
Carson emitted a hearty chuckle and he plopped down in the chair next to the bed that had been vacated by Sheppard. Beckett had forced him to leave to go take a shower and grab some food before coming back. "Aye, you'll not being dying on my watch. Everything looks much better today."
"Good. Glad to see that your doctoring skills haven't gotten rusty in my absence," he muttered in his normal caustic manner, "I am the only one around here who gives you regular work. I really should stake out a permanent spot in here, maybe a bed by the nurses' station. You always did love to surround yourself with beautiful women. Hell, you'd probably be out of a job without me around."
"Rodney, you were only gone a day or so. I doubt my years of training would be eroded significantly in that short a time period."
"It felt a lot longer," he said, a bit more quietly this time.
Beckett sat forward in the chair, "You're back now, Rodney and doing well."
Rodney's moment ended and his mask snapped back into place, "Well enough for you to give me a computer? I lost mine on that planet and I want to get some equations transferred over before I forget them."
"Aye, because you are likely to forget anything with that memory of yours. And you know the answer to that question already."
Rodney shook his head, "I know, I know. No computers in the infirmary. Can't blame a man for trying, can you," he asked, looking up at Carson.
"I'd be more worried that something was wrong if you didn't try."
The conversation was cut short as the door opened and the colonel walked in, leaning against the door after he'd closed it.
"Ready to bust this joint, McKay?"
Rodney's brow scrunched in confusion and he looked at the doctor expectantly, "What is he talking about?"
Beckett stood back up and cracked his back, "You're doing extremely well. I'm willing to release you today if you agree to take it easy. You don't seem to be at risk for hypothermia anymore."
"Really?" He asked in disbelief. Carson never released him this early.
"Aye, but that means no lab work until tomorrow at the earliest. And you aren't to be out and about without the Colonel or someone else. I want someone nearby in case you start feeling worse for any reason."
Rodney nodded in agreement, "Ok. I can agree to that." He wasn't thrilled on having a human shadow, but he wanted to get out of here more. He'd put up with it if it meant he could get back into the city. He also couldn't help thinking that if he was kept here, Sheppard might eventually get tired of sitting around. No, he hadn't been left alone for one second yet, and between Beckett's staff and John, he'd been accompanied all the time, but the fact was comforting and he hadn't tired of the sensation yet. He'd been alone for so long, out there in the ocean, that just the sense of peace that came with having another human being in close physical proximity had a calming effect. He'd never admit the fact, but he didn't know if he was ready to be alone again. He'd be willing to play the shadow, even, trail Sheppard around for the day, if it meant that he didn't have to go back to the suffocating sense of apprehension that came with being alone.
"Alright then, let's get that IV out," Beckett added reaching for the hand that attached to the IV.
Sheppard pulled a bundle from behind his back and threw it onto Rodney's lap with a precise throw that suggested practice, "Here, figured you didn't want to go waltzing about the city in a pair of Beckett's scrubs, as fashionable as they are. I grabbed a spare uniform from your room."
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Sheppard slowed his pace as he waited for McKay to catch up. Although his sarcasm was operating full tilt, the scientist had been very cooperative for the most part. Rodney had tried to make a quick stop in his lab right after they left the infirmary, but after Sheppard put that idea to rest he hadn't made a fuss of it.
"How are you doing McKay," he asked as Rodney fell into step next to him and they made their way along the hallway.
"Fine. Just like ten minutes ago when you last asked."
"You sure? Because you normally aren't interested in my errands."
Rodney rolled his eyes, "What's not to love about guns and explosives," he answered in response, referring to the stop they'd just made at the armory. Sheppard had wanted to check on the latest weapons shipment that the Daedelus had dropped off.
Sheppard shrugged, "For you? Everything. You're always saying that they distract me from the more important things, like the gadgets brought back by different teams on off world trips that you find so fascinating."
"It's fine. I know you have stuff to do other than babysitting me. I, on the other hand, suddenly have a clear schedule. I'm not allowed in the lab, and apparently I'm also not allowed to be in radio contact with Zelenka."
Sheppard held up his hands in a defensive posture as they halted outside the transporter, "Hey, not my fault. Carson made a list. You know he means business when he writes down directions for me. There are lots of things I'm not supposed to let you do."
McKay scowled, "He made a list? I'm not a child that needs to be watched and slapped on the wrist every time I disobey an order."
"Yeah, he seemed pretty convinced that I might not be the best companion for you...he was going to put Ronon on this detail. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of promising to change his mind. Ok, and maybe I let Ronon join another team for the day. He was itching for something to do. Some grain trading mission, nothing too exciting, but he was grateful for the break in the monotony."
"I want to see this list. What else has Carson put out of bounds?"
Sheppard smiled and pulled the crinkled piece of paper out of his vest pocket. The first item on the list, scribbled in Beckett's messy hand, was in all caps and underlined three times proclaiming no lab work was to be permitted. Beckett had been able to come up with a pretty good laundry list of all the things Rodney wasn't allowed to do. "How 'bout I just tell you when getting close to violating one of Carson's rules? He's just trying to look out for you; we don't need to ride him too hard about it."
"Oh come on, I'd rather know everything I'm not allowed to do right off the bat so I can focus on finding things that I can find to entertain myself."
"That's what I'm worried about. You searching for loopholes. Look, if something happens, it's my butt on the line here. And I mean that in the literal sense of the word. Carson's promised some none-too-kind vaccinations in an unpleasant location if I don't keep you out of trouble."
While Sheppard had been speaking McKay had crossed the distance between them and snatched the paper from the colonel's hands, turning his back to defend against Sheppard trying to grab it back. He stepped into the transporter with the colonel on his heels. "I'm not allowed to fly a jumper? Why does he even think that I would want to do that in my spare time?"
"Eh, that might have been my fault...just a bit. There was the one time we went out together when I still apparently had the residual effects of a sedative in my bloodstream? I think that went against the 'don't operate heavy machinery when high' rule."
"You were bored and I took pity on you. No one got hurt!"
"We crash landed on the pier because I was too dizzy to fly and your flying skills leave much to be desired," Sheppard answered as he keyed in a destination on the transporter's control panel.
"We were both fine," McKay retorted as he took another step into the jumper to avoid getting hit by the doors as they closed.
"We almost caused Carson a heart attack. He's just covering his bases. Maybe making sure I don't return the favor?"
"Yeah, some favor that would be. Us following that suicidal streak of yours," he barked a bit gruffly. They didn't always get in trouble when you put the two of them together. "Fine, that one may have a bit of basis. But I'd like to see you explain this one, 'No-'"
Sheppard immediately turned to face Mckay as his voice cut out. He spun fast enough to see the paper drop from McKay's hand and twirl like a pair of helicopter blades to the ground. Rodney crossed his arms in front of him and let out a shuttering breath. "Rodney, you ok?"
"Just a small chill. It's c-cold in here," he said through chattering teeth.
Sheppard looked down at his own arms; he'd just rolled up his sleeves because he was uncomfortably hot. "It's a normal temperature in here, Rodney."
Rodney's head had dropped to his chest and his spine bent as he hunched over to try to keep himself warm, "For your information, Sheppard, people can be comfortable at different temperatures. We weren't all raised in frigid climates."
Sheppard stepped forward to help the man straighten up and prevent him from falling forward, he was looking a bit precarious on his feet, "McKay, you are used to cold temperatures. You're from Canada and spent how many years at the Antarctic base?"
"And maybe I've gotten used to the tropical conditions we get here, think of that Colonel," he snapped back harshly and tried to shake Sheppard off without success.
"We're going back to see Beckett. He said if you were feeling off to come right back, this qualifies," Sheppard said in a serious tone. He rekeyed a command for the transporter to deliver them near the infirmary.
Rodney stopped trying to fend off the grip but that didn't restrain the anger in of his voice, "If you want to ditch me and have better stuff to do, fine, drop me off in my room. Don't make up excuses to try to get rid of me."
Sheppard didn't rise to the bait, carefully leveling his voice, "You're not ok and we're going back. Not because I don't want to spend time with you, I'll stay. But something's off and Carson needs to know. End of discussion." The transporter opened and John began walking McKay down to see Beckett about this latest development.
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Chapter 9 - It’s Complicated
Rodney was sitting in the isolation room again. He was alone at the moment, Sheppard had left to go find Beckett and drag him in here to take a look at him. He was sitting in the chair next to the bed; he wasn't too keen on going back to lying around fulltime. There were so many better uses of his time than occupying a bed.
He turned his head toward the door as it opened and Sheppard came in, closely followed by Beckett. "Carson," he acknowledged, nodding his head.
"Rodney, Sheppard's telling me you got a bit chilled when you were out in the city. This so?"
"It's not a big deal; Sheppard was playing it way too cautious. Although we need to consider that you gave him a list of all the things we weren't allowed to do and promised bodily harm if anything happened to me when I was out of your clutches," he said a bit angrily. The micromanaging they were pulling here was ridiculous and he wasn't going to pretend like it wasn't bothering him.
Beckett walked over to him leaving Sheppard to stand in front of the closed door, "Aye, and with good reason it seems," he said, nodding to the blanket covering Rodney's legs.
McKay looked down at it, scrunching one corner of it in a closed fist; it'd just been sitting on the bed, going unused. And he was maybe a little cold. It wasn't his fault that the rest of the expedition members liked colder temperatures.
"Carson, I spent a good portion of a day out in a monsoon. You would think that would grant me enough leeway to feel a bit cold after that."
Beckett stood at the foot of the bed and motioned for McKay to hop up on the edge. McKay shook his head but complied. As he threw the blanket back on the bed and climbed up Beckett flipped through the latest entries in Rodney's chart that summarized all of the readouts from the various monitors he'd been attached to overnight. "Everything looked normal when I released you. You shouldn't be suffering a delayed reaction like this," he said as he set the data pad on the nearest counter. He then pulled a thermometer out of the case he had slid into his pocket when Sheppard had come to find him.
He stuck the thermometer's tip in McKay's ear but the man jerked his head, "Hey! What happened to the 'under the tongue' version? Getting foreign objects shoved in my ear wasn't on the list of things I wanted to do."
"Aye, and getting verbally abused by a scientist wasn't on my list either. Seems we both sore out of luck today," Beckett said in a joking tone as he laid his other hand on Rodney's head to stabilize it so he could get a proper reading. "And I use the ear thermometer with you because I've tried it enough times to know you can't keep your mouth shut that long."
"Hey!"
The thermometer shifted a bit as a round of laugher shook the physician's body, "See what I mean? Now Rodney, how about you tell me how you've been feeling?"
The scientist tapped his fingers in his lap, "The rest of the city is colder than in here. In here is nice. But I can't stay cooped up in here forever. I guess I'll just need to get reacclimated to the environment in the rest of the city."
The thermometer beeped and McKay shook his head a few times as Beckett withdrew it and looked at the number, frowning slightly, "You're temperature is down a wee bit."
McKay groaned, being kept in here for longer was the last thing we wanted right now, "How bad is it?"
"Ninety-eight even. Not bad enough for me to be worrying too much on its own, but the fact remains it shouldn't be happening at all."
McKay shot Beckett a puzzling expression, "What do you mean it shouldn't be happening?"
"We don't normally see a relapse into hypothermia once a patient has been removed from the environmental conditions that brought it on. You're back in the city, out of the rain and the cold, so it's strange that this is happening."
"Ok...so what does it mean if I am having an irregular relapse," Mckay asked with a tingle of irritation at the lack of a clear explanation.
"Could be a psychological component to it. I've seen it before. The mind's capable of doing a lot, including sometimes convincing the body that it should react in a way it really shouldn't. For example, a relapse of hypothermia."
"Great, so you're basically telling me I'm nuts. Is that it," McKay snapped back.
"Easy Rodney. I'm not implying that at all. Have you been thinking about the...experience a lot recently?"
Rodney leveled him with an impatient stare, "Carson, if you were left out on a planet by yourself for several hours to think that you would die, would you shake it from your mind like last week's dirty laundry?"
"I know it was a difficult situation-"
"No, difficult is not an adequate description for what I went through. How about impossible," he added with pure venom in his voice as he went on the defensive.
Beckett looked over to meet Sheppard's gaze but the man was looking at the ground guiltily. As if this was his fault. Beckett made a mental note to have another conversation with the Colonel about beating himself up for something that was beyond his control. It wouldn't do anyone good.
Carson took a deep breath and turned back toward his patient, "Rodney, calm down. I am not belittling what happened. I'm trying to say that it's understandable to be thinking about it a lot right now, and even for awhile into the coming days. And it could explain what's happening with the hypothermia. If it is, that's better than some complication. If that's all it is I'll take that as a good thing."
"Fine. If that's the explanation you want to run with and it'll get me out of here faster then we'll go with that," he finished, leveling out his voice at the end of his statement as he calmed down some. McKay stuck a finger in his ear to scratch the itch that had taken root there, "So where do we go from here?"
Beckett picked the data pad back up to put a note of it in Rodney's chart with the latest temperature reading, "You stay here for a bit longer, we'll get your temp back up again and evaluate what to do then."
"So I'm stuck here?"
"Aye, it seems to be the case. I'll have a nurse bring in a new set of scrubs and I'll be back in to run a few tests later on. Did you get a chance to hit the mess?"
"We were on our way there when Sheppard decided we needed to come back down here."
"Then I'll send for a meal as well. Any preferences?"
"Something solid would be nice, some real food, none of the vegetable stuff you like to put on my plate," he said, scrunching his face up a bit at the thought. Some things that Carson tried to feed him...
"Alright. I'll have them bring it up," Beckett said as he moved toward the door, Sheppard moving out of the way as he opened the door.
As Sheppard put a foot into the hallway McKay reacted, "You're leaving," he asked, perhaps a bit more panicked than he had intended for it to be.
"I figured you'd want to rest for awhile," the Colonel responded as he paused and looked back.
McKay was fiddling with the edge of the blanket, "Oh...I guess. You can go if you want. I'll be ok," he said unconvincingly.
Sheppard walked back into the room, "I'll stay."
"Really, you can go, I'm just going to be sitting here. No need for two of us to suffer the boredom," he said, trying to deflect his moment of weakness and end the awkward moment as rapidly as possible.
John slumped down in the chair next to the bed and perched his feet on the railing of the bed, "Eh, last I heard Elizabeth was looking for me. Something about some mission reports she wanted more details on. And we know how much I love paperwork," he finished with a smirk. It wasn't a total lie; Elizabeth had sent him an e-mail about it the other day. And hey, if it eased Rodney's embarrassment at his sudden panicked outburst at the thought of being left alone again, it was worth it.
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Concluded in Part Four