![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: Unspoken
Author: Chaps1870
Pairing: Rodney/Carson Sheppard Friendship
Rating: R for language
Summary: After finding out about Rodney and Carson’s relationship, John’s friendship with Rodney is threatened.
Disclaimer: They belong to someone else, I’ll return them when I’m done….maybe. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Chapter 19
Major Sheppard leaned against the wall, holding his ribs with one hand while the other rubbed at the soreness in his lower back. Torn between moving again and just letting McKay take a few more minutes, he kept watch over the sleeping scientist. He shouldn’t let him sleep like he was, but sheer exhaustion was winning out. Just being carried and the constant pain were wearing him down, Rodney probably felt even worse. Even as he slept, he looked like hell. Reluctantly, Sheppard reached out and nudged him awake.
Rodney woke with a start. Disoriented and alarmed by the darkness, he was on the edge of panic when a hand gripped his shoulder, “Settle, McKay.”
Who, what and where he was came back and he calmed. Embarrassed by his reaction, Rodney nodded and dropped his head again, “Let me sleep.”
“Nuh uh. Wake up.”
“I’m tired,” whined McKay.
“Come on, Rodney. We get through this next section and I’ll give you the rest of the chocolate.”
Straightening on the stool, Rodney went through several contortions to ease the ache in his back. “I’m not some dog you can reward with a treat.”
“Oh wait, I recall a dog joke earlier, maybe I should get the treat.”
Rodney flashed him that creepy, unseeing glare, “Not and live, you mentioned chocolate.” His voice softened, “How are your legs, any better?”
“Tingly.”
“Tingly good or tingly bad?”
“Good I think, although I kind of preferred it when I couldn’t feel anything.”
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Major,” sighed Rodney. John realized his mistake. His legs might be getting better, but McKay still couldn’t see.
Ignoring the obvious, he changed the subject. “So do want the good news or bad news first.”
“You mean there is actually good news?”
“In this case it’s better than the bad news, making it good news.”
“God, that actually made sense,” moaned McKay, standing up to get some circulation back into his legs. He tilted a bit and grabbed for the counter. An arm gripped him until he was steady then fell away without comment. “So the good news. I could use a brief reprieve from the repetition of bad that seems to be following us on this mission.”
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, literally. I think I can see daylight on the other side of the next room.” Sheppard grinned at the surprised look on McKay’s face. It only lasted a second.
“And the bad news? I’m not gonna like this am I?”
“Ummm…no. There’s a few obstacles before we get there.”
Rodney reached out blindly for the stool and sat down heavily, “This day just gets better and better.” He rubbed at his temple, willing the roaring ache to subside. The bandage hid the permanent crease on his brow from the headache that had only worsened as the day went along. “So tell me, how bad is it?”
“Well for starters, there are some really big vats that seem to be bubbling and the only way across is a narrow catwalk…and no railings.” Sheppard winced as he added that last bit. It wouldn’t be a big deal if Rodney could see his own way across, but with only John to guide him there would be very little room for mistakes.
Eyes wide and fearful, McKay sensed the Major’s hesitation, and asked tentatively, “What else?”
“I think there’s a ladder to the exit but I can’t be sure, the light’s not very good.”
Rodney sighed heavily, “I like the good news better, because your bad news really sucks, Major.”
“Nah, the bad news would be if we make it that far and can’t get out.”
“You’re just full of good cheer.” Standing again, he reached for the Major. “Let’s do this before I lose what few nerves I have left.” Hefting John to his shoulders, adjusting him as necessary, they entered the large cavern. Rodney took a few steps in the room and stopped. He lifted his head and smelled the air.
John was suddenly on alert. “What’s wrong?”
“Sulfuric Acid. What do you see?”
“Um, big vats of some sort of liquid. It’s all divided up into honeycomb looking cells. Shouldn’t we be moving if we are breathing in acid fumes?”
“Did you see any type of protective gear in the last room?”
Sheppard thought for a second. “No.”
“Then they probably don’t need it. I wouldn’t want to stay in here for any length of time, but it’s most likely vented to the outside. That’s why it’s so close to the surface.”
“What is it?”
“Do the honeycombs have anything hanging in them, metal plates, wires?”
“Maybe, it’s hard to tell from here.”
“It’s a battery, Major. Low tech, but it probably works well enough for lights and such.”
“So we can keep moving?”
“We should be fine.”
“Should be?” questioned Sheppard nervously.
“Well considering it’s alien technology I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty but I am ‘certain’ you have gained weight in the last hour. Can we get moving?” Rodney’s voice was irritated and weary.
Bantering aside, John gave him directions. “Go left about six feet and stop, then forward about two. We’ll go from there to line you up on the walkway.”
By the time Rodney was standing at the edge of the catwalk, he was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. “Just how wide is this?”
“Two feet, give or take?”
Rodney squeaked, “Give or take what?”
“An inch…maybe.”
“I can’t do this.”
He started to back up, but John tugged on his arm. “You can do this.”
Dropping his head, Rodney whispered, “No I can’t. If I slip it….”
John interrupted, “You’re not gonna slip. I trust you. Just walk and I’ll guide you, just like we’ve done all day.”
Rodney hesitated and stepped, complaining as he did, “This would be much easier if you hadn’t told me we were walking over a vat of acid.”
“Ease left. Then you would have bitched when we fell in the acid that I didn’t tell you. It’s a no win situation.” John wanted to close his eyes but that was impossible and he kept them glued to Rodney’s feet, not daring to look forward.
“Why can’t we just sit down and I’ll drag you across?” His steps were slow and measured as he made himself continue.
John’s head was hanging over the catwalk, staring down at the bubbling acid and he swallowed hard, keeping his voice steady as he spoke, “It’s too undignified. Ease right a bit.”
Rodney automatically adjusted his direction, still moving forward. “Undignified! No one can see us, Major. I doubt anyone would consider scooting undignified as opposed to having all your skin eaten away by acid.”
Controlling his breathing, Sheppard watched McKay’s feet slowly making their way closer to the edge. In an even tone, he directed him and continued the conversation, distracting Rodney from the task at hand. “Right a bit more. Nice visual by the way. I’m just saying it really isn’t necessary when walking gets you there.”
“That’s just insane. You need to place a higher value on self preservation rather than how it might affect your reputation. You have an unnatural regard for appearances, Major.”
“I do not. Go left some,” said Sheppard, hoping he didn’t sound as panicky as he felt. “Besides, if I cared about appearances you think I’d be hanging out with a geeky scientist all the time.”
Rodney didn’t catch the jibe or he was too busy concentrating on where his feet were going to mind. “And what is wrong with being a geek? They grow up and make big bucks. A lot more than Air Force Majors. You changed the subject.”
John was sweating in buckets and his mind had its own litany going in addition to talking to McKay. At the present moment he was trying to keep from hyperventilating as his head bobbed over the acid. He watched the scientist’s feet drift to the left. Shit, shit, shit. Trying to stop an unmasculine cry, he ground out a pleasant direction, “Right, go right some.” He watched, holding his breath. “More right.” Breathing again, he sighed, “Better. What was the subject again?”
“Scooting, Major. We were discussing the pros and cons of scooting. You have the attention span of two year old.” John thought that at the moment his attention was pretty damn focused…on McKay’s feet.
McKay’s nerves were holding up apparently, but John’s were about shot and he wanted to look up. Fear kept his eyes firmly planted on McKay’s shoes and the edge of the catwalk. “Well, there is always the matter of Carson. How do explain scratches on your ass? How embarrassing is that? Ease left again.” John wanted to shout…PLEASE.
“Pride goeth before the fall, Major.”
Fall was not a word that Sheppard particularly wanted to hear and he ranted in his most civil tone, “Nothing against Beckett, I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy when he isn’t threatening me with needles, but lately he’s gone out of his way to use some of his bigger ones. Go right.” He grabbed a couple of deep breaths, choking back a cough from the fumes and tried not to squirm in McKay’s grasp. The man was shaking enough without adding gas to the fire. “I don’t suppose you could talk to him about that, could you?”
“I don’t know, he seems to be enjoying it so much. I’d hate to take it away from him. He has so few pleasures it seems a shame to…”
“Rodney.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
Sheppard raised his voice, “Rodney!”
Annoyed, McKay shouted back, “WHAT?”
“We’re across.”
Stopping in his tracks, Rodney muttered in disbelief, “We are?”
“Yeah, nice job.”
“Thanks.” Rodney sank to his knees, rolling Sheppard onto the floor before slumping forward onto his hands.
John lay on his back, taking deep breathes as the adrenalin raced through his blood. Using his sleeve, he wiped the sweat away from his face, “You better hope we can get out of here because there is no way in hell I’m doing that again.”
Rodney rolled to his back and stared unseeing at the ceiling, “You did that on purpose.”
Trying to sound innocent, John answered, “What?”
“Kept me occupied.”
“Not so much. It kept me occupied too,” sighed John. “Not to sound insensitive, but be thankful you couldn’t see. From where I was hanging it wasn’t the best view.”
Rodney stuttered, “Thanks.” His mouth turned up a little and he whined lightly, “Can I have my chocolate now?”
“No.” Sitting up with some effort, John nudged him, “Let’s go before these fumes settle in my lungs and leave me nothing left to breathe with.”
“Slave driver,” mumbled Rodney, accepting John’s help as he sat up and dizziness hit him. His head didn’t hurt as much lying down and he gladly would have traded contaminated lungs for some relief from the pile driver wrecking havoc inside his head.
They managed to get moving again, albeit slowly and the ladder at the far side of the cavern did in fact lead to the surface. It was a long climb and about half way up Rodney had to stop, his arms and legs trembling. The added weight of John on his back was making each foot he gained seem like a milestone. Gripping the rung, he took in several gasps of air, letting his muscles relax. Only it didn’t happen. Instead his muscles began seizing up, cramping as they tightened.
His hand clamped down on the latter rung as his muscles clenched involuntarily. The hand on John’s wrist tightened to the point of being painful, alerting him. “Rodney?”
When McKay didn’t answer, John twisted enough to see the scientist’s face. Rodney’s eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw clenched and the muscles in his neck corded tight. It wasn’t the first time since their shock treatment that they’d had brief attacks like this, but nothing on this level and the other times they were able to stop until they passed.
“Oh, Christ.” Reaching for the ladder, John grabbed the rung and tried to shift his weight off of the McKay’s shoulders. Feeling the weight shift, Rodney instinctively tightened his grip, thinking Sheppard was slipping. The Major ground out sharply, “Let go of my hand.”
The death grip disappeared and John was able to free himself from Rodney’s grasp. Grabbing the ladder with both hands he slid off McKay’s back, using his arms to support himself. The sudden drop of all his weight jarred his ribs and his back spasmed painfully. Ignoring it, he pulled himself up until he was eye level with Rodney, “Try and relax. Take some deep breaths.”
Rodney nodded sharply, his breathing shallow and fast as his muscles slowly began to relax, leaving only an occasional twitch. His head dropped to his chest, the episode exhausting him. It suddenly occurred to him that there was no longer a crushing load on his back and he panicked slightly, reaching out for Sheppard. Wrapping his arm around the Major’s waist he took some of the weight off his arms. John arched away from the contact to his back but welcomed the support, “Thanks.”
“Sorry,” muttered McKay. “I uh…I…”
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s not like I’ve been doing a whole lot of work on this trip. ‘Bout time I carried my own weight.” John chuckled at the pun.
Holding back a smile, Rodney took a deep breath, “Before you decided to play the hero here, did you consider how you are going to get back on my shoulders?”
Looking up at the distance they still had to cover and then to where he hung on to the ladder, John’s face fell, “Never crossed my mind.”
Rodney shook his head, his tone carried a tinge of bitterness as he spoke, “Why doesn’t that surprise me? Can you climb if I help you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Grabbing a higher rung, John pulled himself up. McKay followed his ascent, never releasing his hold on Sheppard’s waist. Their progress was slow, measured by one rung at a time. As they climbed, John spoke, “You look like shit, McKay.”
“Well, again you have me at a disadvantage, but I’m sure you don’t look any better.” Rodney’s arm trembled as he lifted Sheppard up to the next rung. He grunted with the effort and snapped at the Major between breaths, “This would have been easier… if you’d stayed on my back… instead of assuming… I couldn’t get you to the top.”
John’s arms strained as he pulled himself up another rung. “You think that’s why I did this?”
Tempers were short, and Rodney was too tired to guard his tongue, “Of course it is. Just like on Kinoban. You didn’t think I was strong enough so you stepped in and saved the day.”
They continued their climb, each unconsciously helping the other even as they argued. “It didn’t matter if I stepped in or not, Pojan was gonna let you go.”
Rodney spat a reply, “You didn’t know that! You had to play the hero.”
John countered, “No, I didn’t know that, but I wasn’t going to let them beat you any more. It wasn’t about being a hero.” His voice softened as he remembered, “When I saw you hanging there and Pojan’s men were beating you I suddenly realized what an idiot I’d been and I would’ve done whatever it took to get you down so you wouldn’t have to be hurt like that.”
Looking somewhat shocked, Rodney shook his head, his voice distant as he spoke, “You took it away from me, made it all meaningless.”
“Not meaningless. You took everything they dished out because you thought we would be killed if you didn’t. You took a beating because you were afraid of what they would do to me if you didn’t. Despite what you thought of us…me, Teyla and Ford you still wouldn’t let anything happen to us, because somewhere along the line you decided we were worthy of your friendship. Not something given lightly by the mighty McKay. Pojan eventually learned that too. That’s why it didn’t matter what I did, why he didn’t follow through with his threat against you. You made him see the truth. You made me see the truth. It didn’t matter what kind of fighter you were, because when it comes down to it, you’ll do whatever it takes to protect your teammates.”
Still climbing, Rodney didn’t comment, but John knew he’d made his point, at least as far as Kinoban was concerned. He hesitated a moment, unsure what else he could say. “Damn it Rodney, as hard as it is for you to believe, you’re my friend. When you were hurting just now I had to do something, even if it was just moving off your back so you didn’t have to worry about me. That’s what friends do.”
Rodney hadn’t really considered that he’d spent a week on Kinoban protecting his team, all he’d come out of it feeling was betrayed. He didn’t know what to say and he was glad that they’d reached the top of the ladder and he could deflect the conversation. With a firm, but shaky grip on Sheppard, he asked tentatively, “Can you hang on until I get up there and turn around?”
“Yeah.” He was somewhat disappointed by McKay’s lack of response but they were both tired and maybe it was just too much effort to keep arguing. Rodney managed to get turned around in the small space and fumbled for John’s forearm until he latched on and pulled him up. Releasing his other hand, John grabbed for Rodney’s other hand as was tugged and pulled until they were both clear of the ladder. Rolling away from each other, they lay side by side in what appeared to be a small overhang hiding the opening.
The emotional and physical strain of the past half hour took its toll on both men and very little was said. John silently handed McKay the remaining chocolate. Offering Sheppard half and receiving a ‘no thanks’, Rodney ate the sugar laden snack and drifted off.
Sitting up required some effort and a fair amount of discomfort, but John managed, wanting to see what was beyond their hideout. By the looks of the sun, it was about mid-afternoon, leaving them about four or five hours until dark. They were up higher than he’d figured on but it did afford him a great view of the valley below. With some luck he spotted the ruins and the nearby buildings where he hoped the others still were. Beyond that he could just make out the top of the Stargate. As near as he could tell they looked to be about a mile from the ruins. Most of it looked to be down hill, but it was also through thick jungle. Closing his eyes he rested, hoping that their luck would change and they could at least find a game trail that would make the trek a bit easier.
Author: Chaps1870
Pairing: Rodney/Carson Sheppard Friendship
Rating: R for language
Summary: After finding out about Rodney and Carson’s relationship, John’s friendship with Rodney is threatened.
Disclaimer: They belong to someone else, I’ll return them when I’m done….maybe. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Chapter 19
Major Sheppard leaned against the wall, holding his ribs with one hand while the other rubbed at the soreness in his lower back. Torn between moving again and just letting McKay take a few more minutes, he kept watch over the sleeping scientist. He shouldn’t let him sleep like he was, but sheer exhaustion was winning out. Just being carried and the constant pain were wearing him down, Rodney probably felt even worse. Even as he slept, he looked like hell. Reluctantly, Sheppard reached out and nudged him awake.
Rodney woke with a start. Disoriented and alarmed by the darkness, he was on the edge of panic when a hand gripped his shoulder, “Settle, McKay.”
Who, what and where he was came back and he calmed. Embarrassed by his reaction, Rodney nodded and dropped his head again, “Let me sleep.”
“Nuh uh. Wake up.”
“I’m tired,” whined McKay.
“Come on, Rodney. We get through this next section and I’ll give you the rest of the chocolate.”
Straightening on the stool, Rodney went through several contortions to ease the ache in his back. “I’m not some dog you can reward with a treat.”
“Oh wait, I recall a dog joke earlier, maybe I should get the treat.”
Rodney flashed him that creepy, unseeing glare, “Not and live, you mentioned chocolate.” His voice softened, “How are your legs, any better?”
“Tingly.”
“Tingly good or tingly bad?”
“Good I think, although I kind of preferred it when I couldn’t feel anything.”
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Major,” sighed Rodney. John realized his mistake. His legs might be getting better, but McKay still couldn’t see.
Ignoring the obvious, he changed the subject. “So do want the good news or bad news first.”
“You mean there is actually good news?”
“In this case it’s better than the bad news, making it good news.”
“God, that actually made sense,” moaned McKay, standing up to get some circulation back into his legs. He tilted a bit and grabbed for the counter. An arm gripped him until he was steady then fell away without comment. “So the good news. I could use a brief reprieve from the repetition of bad that seems to be following us on this mission.”
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, literally. I think I can see daylight on the other side of the next room.” Sheppard grinned at the surprised look on McKay’s face. It only lasted a second.
“And the bad news? I’m not gonna like this am I?”
“Ummm…no. There’s a few obstacles before we get there.”
Rodney reached out blindly for the stool and sat down heavily, “This day just gets better and better.” He rubbed at his temple, willing the roaring ache to subside. The bandage hid the permanent crease on his brow from the headache that had only worsened as the day went along. “So tell me, how bad is it?”
“Well for starters, there are some really big vats that seem to be bubbling and the only way across is a narrow catwalk…and no railings.” Sheppard winced as he added that last bit. It wouldn’t be a big deal if Rodney could see his own way across, but with only John to guide him there would be very little room for mistakes.
Eyes wide and fearful, McKay sensed the Major’s hesitation, and asked tentatively, “What else?”
“I think there’s a ladder to the exit but I can’t be sure, the light’s not very good.”
Rodney sighed heavily, “I like the good news better, because your bad news really sucks, Major.”
“Nah, the bad news would be if we make it that far and can’t get out.”
“You’re just full of good cheer.” Standing again, he reached for the Major. “Let’s do this before I lose what few nerves I have left.” Hefting John to his shoulders, adjusting him as necessary, they entered the large cavern. Rodney took a few steps in the room and stopped. He lifted his head and smelled the air.
John was suddenly on alert. “What’s wrong?”
“Sulfuric Acid. What do you see?”
“Um, big vats of some sort of liquid. It’s all divided up into honeycomb looking cells. Shouldn’t we be moving if we are breathing in acid fumes?”
“Did you see any type of protective gear in the last room?”
Sheppard thought for a second. “No.”
“Then they probably don’t need it. I wouldn’t want to stay in here for any length of time, but it’s most likely vented to the outside. That’s why it’s so close to the surface.”
“What is it?”
“Do the honeycombs have anything hanging in them, metal plates, wires?”
“Maybe, it’s hard to tell from here.”
“It’s a battery, Major. Low tech, but it probably works well enough for lights and such.”
“So we can keep moving?”
“We should be fine.”
“Should be?” questioned Sheppard nervously.
“Well considering it’s alien technology I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty but I am ‘certain’ you have gained weight in the last hour. Can we get moving?” Rodney’s voice was irritated and weary.
Bantering aside, John gave him directions. “Go left about six feet and stop, then forward about two. We’ll go from there to line you up on the walkway.”
By the time Rodney was standing at the edge of the catwalk, he was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. “Just how wide is this?”
“Two feet, give or take?”
Rodney squeaked, “Give or take what?”
“An inch…maybe.”
“I can’t do this.”
He started to back up, but John tugged on his arm. “You can do this.”
Dropping his head, Rodney whispered, “No I can’t. If I slip it….”
John interrupted, “You’re not gonna slip. I trust you. Just walk and I’ll guide you, just like we’ve done all day.”
Rodney hesitated and stepped, complaining as he did, “This would be much easier if you hadn’t told me we were walking over a vat of acid.”
“Ease left. Then you would have bitched when we fell in the acid that I didn’t tell you. It’s a no win situation.” John wanted to close his eyes but that was impossible and he kept them glued to Rodney’s feet, not daring to look forward.
“Why can’t we just sit down and I’ll drag you across?” His steps were slow and measured as he made himself continue.
John’s head was hanging over the catwalk, staring down at the bubbling acid and he swallowed hard, keeping his voice steady as he spoke, “It’s too undignified. Ease right a bit.”
Rodney automatically adjusted his direction, still moving forward. “Undignified! No one can see us, Major. I doubt anyone would consider scooting undignified as opposed to having all your skin eaten away by acid.”
Controlling his breathing, Sheppard watched McKay’s feet slowly making their way closer to the edge. In an even tone, he directed him and continued the conversation, distracting Rodney from the task at hand. “Right a bit more. Nice visual by the way. I’m just saying it really isn’t necessary when walking gets you there.”
“That’s just insane. You need to place a higher value on self preservation rather than how it might affect your reputation. You have an unnatural regard for appearances, Major.”
“I do not. Go left some,” said Sheppard, hoping he didn’t sound as panicky as he felt. “Besides, if I cared about appearances you think I’d be hanging out with a geeky scientist all the time.”
Rodney didn’t catch the jibe or he was too busy concentrating on where his feet were going to mind. “And what is wrong with being a geek? They grow up and make big bucks. A lot more than Air Force Majors. You changed the subject.”
John was sweating in buckets and his mind had its own litany going in addition to talking to McKay. At the present moment he was trying to keep from hyperventilating as his head bobbed over the acid. He watched the scientist’s feet drift to the left. Shit, shit, shit. Trying to stop an unmasculine cry, he ground out a pleasant direction, “Right, go right some.” He watched, holding his breath. “More right.” Breathing again, he sighed, “Better. What was the subject again?”
“Scooting, Major. We were discussing the pros and cons of scooting. You have the attention span of two year old.” John thought that at the moment his attention was pretty damn focused…on McKay’s feet.
McKay’s nerves were holding up apparently, but John’s were about shot and he wanted to look up. Fear kept his eyes firmly planted on McKay’s shoes and the edge of the catwalk. “Well, there is always the matter of Carson. How do explain scratches on your ass? How embarrassing is that? Ease left again.” John wanted to shout…PLEASE.
“Pride goeth before the fall, Major.”
Fall was not a word that Sheppard particularly wanted to hear and he ranted in his most civil tone, “Nothing against Beckett, I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy when he isn’t threatening me with needles, but lately he’s gone out of his way to use some of his bigger ones. Go right.” He grabbed a couple of deep breaths, choking back a cough from the fumes and tried not to squirm in McKay’s grasp. The man was shaking enough without adding gas to the fire. “I don’t suppose you could talk to him about that, could you?”
“I don’t know, he seems to be enjoying it so much. I’d hate to take it away from him. He has so few pleasures it seems a shame to…”
“Rodney.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
Sheppard raised his voice, “Rodney!”
Annoyed, McKay shouted back, “WHAT?”
“We’re across.”
Stopping in his tracks, Rodney muttered in disbelief, “We are?”
“Yeah, nice job.”
“Thanks.” Rodney sank to his knees, rolling Sheppard onto the floor before slumping forward onto his hands.
John lay on his back, taking deep breathes as the adrenalin raced through his blood. Using his sleeve, he wiped the sweat away from his face, “You better hope we can get out of here because there is no way in hell I’m doing that again.”
Rodney rolled to his back and stared unseeing at the ceiling, “You did that on purpose.”
Trying to sound innocent, John answered, “What?”
“Kept me occupied.”
“Not so much. It kept me occupied too,” sighed John. “Not to sound insensitive, but be thankful you couldn’t see. From where I was hanging it wasn’t the best view.”
Rodney stuttered, “Thanks.” His mouth turned up a little and he whined lightly, “Can I have my chocolate now?”
“No.” Sitting up with some effort, John nudged him, “Let’s go before these fumes settle in my lungs and leave me nothing left to breathe with.”
“Slave driver,” mumbled Rodney, accepting John’s help as he sat up and dizziness hit him. His head didn’t hurt as much lying down and he gladly would have traded contaminated lungs for some relief from the pile driver wrecking havoc inside his head.
They managed to get moving again, albeit slowly and the ladder at the far side of the cavern did in fact lead to the surface. It was a long climb and about half way up Rodney had to stop, his arms and legs trembling. The added weight of John on his back was making each foot he gained seem like a milestone. Gripping the rung, he took in several gasps of air, letting his muscles relax. Only it didn’t happen. Instead his muscles began seizing up, cramping as they tightened.
His hand clamped down on the latter rung as his muscles clenched involuntarily. The hand on John’s wrist tightened to the point of being painful, alerting him. “Rodney?”
When McKay didn’t answer, John twisted enough to see the scientist’s face. Rodney’s eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw clenched and the muscles in his neck corded tight. It wasn’t the first time since their shock treatment that they’d had brief attacks like this, but nothing on this level and the other times they were able to stop until they passed.
“Oh, Christ.” Reaching for the ladder, John grabbed the rung and tried to shift his weight off of the McKay’s shoulders. Feeling the weight shift, Rodney instinctively tightened his grip, thinking Sheppard was slipping. The Major ground out sharply, “Let go of my hand.”
The death grip disappeared and John was able to free himself from Rodney’s grasp. Grabbing the ladder with both hands he slid off McKay’s back, using his arms to support himself. The sudden drop of all his weight jarred his ribs and his back spasmed painfully. Ignoring it, he pulled himself up until he was eye level with Rodney, “Try and relax. Take some deep breaths.”
Rodney nodded sharply, his breathing shallow and fast as his muscles slowly began to relax, leaving only an occasional twitch. His head dropped to his chest, the episode exhausting him. It suddenly occurred to him that there was no longer a crushing load on his back and he panicked slightly, reaching out for Sheppard. Wrapping his arm around the Major’s waist he took some of the weight off his arms. John arched away from the contact to his back but welcomed the support, “Thanks.”
“Sorry,” muttered McKay. “I uh…I…”
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s not like I’ve been doing a whole lot of work on this trip. ‘Bout time I carried my own weight.” John chuckled at the pun.
Holding back a smile, Rodney took a deep breath, “Before you decided to play the hero here, did you consider how you are going to get back on my shoulders?”
Looking up at the distance they still had to cover and then to where he hung on to the ladder, John’s face fell, “Never crossed my mind.”
Rodney shook his head, his tone carried a tinge of bitterness as he spoke, “Why doesn’t that surprise me? Can you climb if I help you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Grabbing a higher rung, John pulled himself up. McKay followed his ascent, never releasing his hold on Sheppard’s waist. Their progress was slow, measured by one rung at a time. As they climbed, John spoke, “You look like shit, McKay.”
“Well, again you have me at a disadvantage, but I’m sure you don’t look any better.” Rodney’s arm trembled as he lifted Sheppard up to the next rung. He grunted with the effort and snapped at the Major between breaths, “This would have been easier… if you’d stayed on my back… instead of assuming… I couldn’t get you to the top.”
John’s arms strained as he pulled himself up another rung. “You think that’s why I did this?”
Tempers were short, and Rodney was too tired to guard his tongue, “Of course it is. Just like on Kinoban. You didn’t think I was strong enough so you stepped in and saved the day.”
They continued their climb, each unconsciously helping the other even as they argued. “It didn’t matter if I stepped in or not, Pojan was gonna let you go.”
Rodney spat a reply, “You didn’t know that! You had to play the hero.”
John countered, “No, I didn’t know that, but I wasn’t going to let them beat you any more. It wasn’t about being a hero.” His voice softened as he remembered, “When I saw you hanging there and Pojan’s men were beating you I suddenly realized what an idiot I’d been and I would’ve done whatever it took to get you down so you wouldn’t have to be hurt like that.”
Looking somewhat shocked, Rodney shook his head, his voice distant as he spoke, “You took it away from me, made it all meaningless.”
“Not meaningless. You took everything they dished out because you thought we would be killed if you didn’t. You took a beating because you were afraid of what they would do to me if you didn’t. Despite what you thought of us…me, Teyla and Ford you still wouldn’t let anything happen to us, because somewhere along the line you decided we were worthy of your friendship. Not something given lightly by the mighty McKay. Pojan eventually learned that too. That’s why it didn’t matter what I did, why he didn’t follow through with his threat against you. You made him see the truth. You made me see the truth. It didn’t matter what kind of fighter you were, because when it comes down to it, you’ll do whatever it takes to protect your teammates.”
Still climbing, Rodney didn’t comment, but John knew he’d made his point, at least as far as Kinoban was concerned. He hesitated a moment, unsure what else he could say. “Damn it Rodney, as hard as it is for you to believe, you’re my friend. When you were hurting just now I had to do something, even if it was just moving off your back so you didn’t have to worry about me. That’s what friends do.”
Rodney hadn’t really considered that he’d spent a week on Kinoban protecting his team, all he’d come out of it feeling was betrayed. He didn’t know what to say and he was glad that they’d reached the top of the ladder and he could deflect the conversation. With a firm, but shaky grip on Sheppard, he asked tentatively, “Can you hang on until I get up there and turn around?”
“Yeah.” He was somewhat disappointed by McKay’s lack of response but they were both tired and maybe it was just too much effort to keep arguing. Rodney managed to get turned around in the small space and fumbled for John’s forearm until he latched on and pulled him up. Releasing his other hand, John grabbed for Rodney’s other hand as was tugged and pulled until they were both clear of the ladder. Rolling away from each other, they lay side by side in what appeared to be a small overhang hiding the opening.
The emotional and physical strain of the past half hour took its toll on both men and very little was said. John silently handed McKay the remaining chocolate. Offering Sheppard half and receiving a ‘no thanks’, Rodney ate the sugar laden snack and drifted off.
Sitting up required some effort and a fair amount of discomfort, but John managed, wanting to see what was beyond their hideout. By the looks of the sun, it was about mid-afternoon, leaving them about four or five hours until dark. They were up higher than he’d figured on but it did afford him a great view of the valley below. With some luck he spotted the ruins and the nearby buildings where he hoped the others still were. Beyond that he could just make out the top of the Stargate. As near as he could tell they looked to be about a mile from the ruins. Most of it looked to be down hill, but it was also through thick jungle. Closing his eyes he rested, hoping that their luck would change and they could at least find a game trail that would make the trek a bit easier.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject