chaps1870

Title: Broken Trust
Author:

chaps1870
Pairing: McShep
Rating: R for violence
Summary: Rodney tries to regain the trust he's lost only it doesn't work out like he plans
Disclaimer: Not mine, too bad.

Thanks for all the great response. Your kindness has been rewarded! *G*

Chapter Three

Coming too much later, Rodney’s eyes shot open and he flinched away from the scuffling of boots near his head. He tensed, momentarily ignoring the pain in lieu of terror, but no more blows came and he allowed himself to release the breath he was he was holding.

Everything hurt, beyond anything he could have imagined and his eyes closed, willing the blackness to come and take him again. A loud thump near his head startled him and his heart raced. Afraid to open his eyes this time, he waited, barely breathing, fearful of what might come next. A light nudge in his ribs made him open his eyes. Blinking back the fuzziness, his eyes widened in surprise at the bag sitting nearby, but he didn’t move.

The foot nudged him again, “Food.”

The man refused to stop his taunts until Rodney finally made an attempt to move. His ribs, back, legs, arms, fingers all hurt and it took a concentrated effort to get a hand with broken fingers under him enough to even rise off the floor. The effort left him sweating heavily and it rolled off his nose, splattering to the floor beneath him. The tinge of pink alarmed him briefly, but the man towering above him took his mind off the seriousness of his injuries and he reached out for the bag. Two of his fingers looked swollen, the bruising already spreading down his knuckles and over the top of his hand. With the remaining good fingers and his thumb he grabbed the bag and dragged it closer, coveting its hard won contents.

Taking a moment to regain his breath, the pain lanced over his ribs restricting his breathing and threatening to send him into oblivion. Sheer determination kept him lucid and he lifted a knee, getting his foot on solid ground before attempting to rise. His whole body trembled in pain and it took more than a single try before his legs would hold his weight. The room danced around him and he took in his captors, calmly standing at the perimeter, their faces expressionless as if they’d taken no part in his beating.

Once on his feet, he stood swaying, blood or sweat dripping into his eyes. It stung and he wanted to wipe it away, but the thought of lifting his arm was more than enough to dissuade him from trying. With a grunt of pain, he tugged the bag higher and after several attempts, it was easier to just let it drag behind him. Hunched over, his other arm wrapped firmly around his battered ribs, Rodney concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

His captors whispered and snickered behind him as he staggered towards his teammates. Breathing was a chore and every step sent daggers of pain into places he didn’t know existed and he hated to think of the damage that had been done. He had the food so he blocked out the worst of it and continued his painful march to the tiny cell that held his teammates. The Colonel trusted him to get them food and he’d done it. It’s all that mattered and the only thing keeping him going.

With his head down, he wasn’t aware of where he was until the trapdoor to their tiny prison appeared at his feet. Waiting for his captors to open it, Rodney took the time to regain his composure, suddenly unsure whether his efforts would be enough. Would he have to do this again tomorrow, or the day after or the day after that? His breath caught at the thought but suddenly he calmed, the absurdity of making it past another day of this was enough to make him laugh inwardly.

As the trapdoor lifted, he steeled himself for the climb down. It was painful and slow, his broken fingers and aching ribs only made it harder. Slipping from the final rungs he dropped to the floor, hanging on to the ladder to keep from falling. He was grateful for the darkness of the pit, hiding him from his teammates. The bag of food rested at his feet and he spoke to them, surprised by the weakness in his voice, “There’s your food.”

The room spun even in the dark and he felt himself falling. Impacting the floor, he cried out in pain alerting the others. Hands grasped him in the dark and he couldn’t stop from groaning. Sheppard’s voice broke through his agony, “Rodney, what’s wrong?”

“Got…your…food,” gasped Rodney, a cough ending any further explanations. Agonizing pain ripped at his sides, his chest, his lungs. A light flashed on his eyelids and he opened his eyes, the dimming flashlight illuminating the concern on the faces above him.

A collective gasp rose above him and Rodney wondered how bad he actually looked. If it was anything like how he felt he could understand their reaction. His eyes drifted shut, the light seeming harsher than it really was.

“Ah geez, Rodney,” sighed Sheppard, brushing his face with a shaky hand. Very carefully, he was lifted out of the dirt and found himself resting against the Colonel’s chest. Other hands cleaned away the blood and dirt from his face despite his muttered protests. He held his hands protectively against his chest and cried out when they pulled them away.

“Don’t… Please,” rasped Rodney, struggling to keep them away.

Sheppard leaned over his shoulder, speaking quietly, “They’re just trying to help. We need to see how bad it is.”

Drawing a breath to speak, Rodney coughed again, his body racked with pain as he tried to get air into his lungs, panicking when it wasn’t enough. His eyes widened in alarm and John held him, uttering reassurances to calm him. “Relax, Rodney. Take a breath and relax.”

It took several attempts but Rodney finally calmed enough to realize he was getting the air he needed even with the short, shallow breaths he was forced to take. John’s voice drifted into the haze he was getting lost in. “Teyla, find something to wrap his fingers. Ronon, you think you can straighten them?”

Ronon nodded, concerned for Rodney but unfazed by the request. Teyla shifted away from in front of McKay and Ronon took her place. The softness in Ronon’s voice surprising as he carefully reached forward to take the scientist’s hand, “I’ll be quick. Scream if you want to, Doctor.”

Rodney lifted his head slightly and peeked out one eye, smiling weakly at Ronon’s comment then tensed, clenching his jaw in anticipation. True to his word, Ronon was quick, giving Rodney no warning. The first finger straightened and Rodney only managed a whimper before he passed out in blessed relief. The others worked quickly, wrapping his fingers and ribs with what bandages they carried in their vests, no one commenting on the massive bruises that dotted his skin.

Offering up his heavy coat, Ronon spread it on the dirt floor and they gently moved Rodney so he could rest. Sheppard sat beside him, a hand resting lightly on his shoulder as they waited for him to wake.

Ronon reluctantly picked up the food bag and pulled some of the contents out, passing them to the others. Even in the dim light he saw the Colonel’s shocked look and shrugged, “Seems a waste not to eat it. Don’t figure he’d want us to starve after what he did to get it.”

Teyla and Sheppard guiltily took what was offered and ate, not particularly hungry any more, but knowing Ronon was right. None of them ate much and what little was left was stored away in a cool corner. They all hovered close to Rodney, watching him as he slept.

It was a restless sleep, broken by the scientist’s harsh breathing and whimpers as he tossed on the makeshift palette. John moved closer, lying along Rodney’s length, his chest pressing against McKay’s back. It seemed to help and Rodney stopped his moving, alleviating some of the pain his thrashing had caused. He awoke sometime in the night, crying out as he jerked and tried to sit up, “Don’t make me go back.”

Soaked to the skin, his breathing raspy, Rodney shook from pain and fear, the darkness around him hiding the worst of it.

Draping an arm around the scientist, John uttered softly, afraid of startling the man. “You don’t have to go back. I promise.” Rodney relaxed and fell back asleep. John doubted he’d actually woken up completely.

It was still dark when Rodney woke again, but that was hardly surprising considering where he was. His body thrummed with pain, but breathing was easier than it had been. Reaching for his ribs he found them wrapped and his hands felt clumsy and swollen. His fingers throbbed but the pain was tolerable and he realized that they too had been wrapped. The pain in his gut seemed worse but that wasn’t surprising considering the number of kicks he taken there.

Still tired, he closed his eyes, sinking into the warmth at his back. His eyes shot open with the dawning realization that it was John sharing his body heat. Thinking to roll away, Rodney stopped when an arm draped his chest holding him firmly in place. It surprised him somewhat that the Colonel hadn’t woken. Considering how little he’d eaten in the past few days it made sense that he was less alert than normal. The closeness felt nice and even though Sheppard was still in the throes of sleep, Rodney could convince himself that there was conscious, albeit sleepy, thought on John’s part to offer the comforting presence.

Morning would come soon enough and John would once again return to his senses, pulling away as he’d done so much lately. Rodney closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying the warmth while he could.

The next time he woke, it was to voices and he tried to block them out, hoping for blissful sleep and the absence of pain. As the voices grew louder, he sat up groggily, blinking against the light that penetrated the cell. Glancing up, he found the Colonel standing above him, his back turned as he stared upward at their captors. His voice was stern as he spoke, “He not going with you today. Forget it.”

A sudden gunshot startled Rodney, making him jump and he watched as the Colonel grabbed for his shoulder and fell to his knees. Rodney scrambled to his side, followed by Teyla and glared up at those above. Ignoring the pain the sudden movement had caused, Rodney hissed at his captors, “What the hell was that for?”

Ronon was already at the ladder, ready to climb up and rip limbs apart, but was stopped short by more gunfire. Their own guns came to bear on them from the natives above. “You will come work or we will kill them,” said one of them, staring directly at McKay.

Turning his gaze to Sheppard, Rodney paled. The Colonel held his arm, blood oozing between his fingers and his jaw clenched tight with pain. Rodney didn’t hesitate. As he started to rise, John grabbed for his jacket sleeve, “Don’t go. You don’t have to do this.”

Rodney stared at him, “Oh please, Colonel. They have no qualms about causing bodily harm. Do you think they’d hesitate to kill you next time?” He tugged his arm out of Sheppard’s grasp and stood up, swaying momentarily at the dizziness. His legs almost buckled but he stood his ground. He looked down at the Colonel and shrugged, “I’ll be fine. Like you said, they won’t kill me.”

John could see the fear reflected in the scientist’s eyes and he stumbled to his feet, making a final grab for him, “Rodney, don’t do this.”

Jerking away, Rodney stepped towards the ladder, his tone resigned. “I have to. You have no idea how long we’ll be here. You said yourself, I’m the only thing keeping all of you alive.”

Having risen with Ronon’s help, John looked at Rodney through pain glazed eyes and had no choice but to concede, his own words coming back to haunt him. He backed off with a barely discernable nod, holding his arm as he watched the scientist begin to climb out of their reach. If it was just himself he could have stopped Rodney, but he had Teyla and Ronon to consider.

Rodney’s ascent was slow and he had to stop half way up just to catch his breath. It didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates as they gathered around the base of ladder, worried he might fall. He ignored their concerned looks and silent pleas, eventually clearing the top with some concentrated effort. The men above manhandled him over the rim and slammed the trapdoor, casting the pit into darkness once again. Ronan, Teyla carefully tended to the Colonel without saying much and they all settled in to wait for the scientist’s return.

Part Four