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Title: Trapped 3/6
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chaps1870
Pairing: McShep
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: Alas, they do not belong to me.
Chapter Three
John watched as his own hand slowly found a resting place on Rodney’s upper arm and didn’t make an effort to pull it away. Screw Caldwell and his homophobic rules. “How’s he doing, Carson?”
Carson shrugged, his eyes showing his worry for his friend. “He’s unconscious, thankfully. I’ve got him stabilized for now, but without being able to get to him, I’ve no way of knowing how badly he’s injured.” Looking at John, Carson asked, “How are you doing?”
“Sore.”
“That’s not what I mean,” said Carson.
John slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Carson’s and seeing a sympathetic understanding. He sidestepped the questioning look, “Just make him better and I’ll be fine.”
Shifting, John tried to move so his own body sheltered Rodney from the worst of the sun as his men worked around them both, constructing a more permanent shade. Time dragged, but John seemed oblivious to anything but Rodney. With infinite care, he helped Carson cool the scientist, who only emitted an occasional and far too infrequent response.
“Colonel?”
“Hmm?” said John, shielding his eyes as he looked up at Radek. The man appeared very nervous and hesitant. Whatever was on his mind didn’t bode well. “What is it you don’t want to tell me?”
“Um…we would like to test shield.”
John looked at him skeptically, his own anxiety rising. “Test it. How?”
“The shield decrease was preceded by a disturbance in the field. If this is true and not merely coincidence than we may be able to free Rodney sooner.”
Stunned, John stared for a fraction of a second resisting the urge to shout about the insanity of the plan. He did his best to remain calm, “You saw what that so called disturbance did to Rodney. Do you really want to put him through that again?”
“No, but I do not see any other options. I do not think that him lying buried under all that rock can be good for him either,” said Radek despairingly. Clearly he was worried about his friend and the untold damage Rodney might be suffering under the rocks.
Rubbing the sweat at the back of his neck, John closed his eyes. Opening them he asked, “What about Atlantis? Have they figured anything out?”
“They have found schematics for this site, but so far we have been unable to figure out what the site was intended for. Whatever Rodney did, it triggered the alarms on Atlantis, but we still do not know why.”
John frowned, “So you want to force the shield to shock him, just so it gets smaller?”
About that time the shield began to sputter and Radek jumped back in alarm, watching in horror as the console once again emitted the bolts of blue energy, aiming unerringly for Rodney. The scientist’s body jerked, arching under the electrical web that enclosed him. Colonel Sheppard didn’t fair much better. Even the energy darting over his entrapped foot was enough to send him writhing on the ground in pain. It was heart-wrenching to witness and they were helpless to do anything but wait it out.
When it was over, Rodney slumped back to the ground and began vomiting. In the position he was in, he ended up lying with his cheek in the puddled mess. The closeness made him gag, even though his stomach was empty. Rodney didn’t have the strength to move away even if he could. Sheppard lay on the ground, trying to find his breath.
The surge had again decreased the size of the field and shouting alerted John to the change. Seeing Rodney’s labored breathing, a combination of retching and the weight on his back, John and Radek both scrambled forward and removed rocks from Rodney’s upper back. It wasn’t much, but every foot of untrapped Rodney was good. Doing all that he could, John returned to kneel beside McKay’s head as Zelenka hurried to check the latest readings on the shield.
Carson was scooping away the contaminated dirt from under Rodney’s head, removing the foul substance in an attempt to make the scientist more comfortable. Handing Sheppard a canteen, Carson spoke, “See if you can get him to drink some. Not too much though. I don’t know what kind of internal injuries he might have and I’d rather not exacerbate that. Don’t let him move his head.” His professional tone did very little to hide the internal turmoil or helplessness that was there in Carson’s eyes.
Nodding, John took the canteen and bent over a shivering Rodney. Shock was setting in and Carson was doing his best to control the situation. Cupping his hand, John poured some water into it and tried getting Rodney to drink. It was clumsy and messy but he managed to get his friend to take some. “Rinse and spit.” Rodney complied but it was more rinse and drool. John wiped his face and started the process over, this time letting Rodney swallow. It was followed by a strained sigh, “Thanks. Bedside manner…sucks.”
John found it hard to smile seeing the effort it took for Rodney to even speak those few words, but he did his best to lighten the mood. “Yeah, next time I’ll be sure to pack a straw.” His expression turned serious as Rodney tried to laugh and ended up coughing painfully. “Easy.” Resting his hand lightly on Rodney’s back, John rubbed it in lazy circles as his eyes darted frantically to Carson.
The doctor was already cutting away McKay’s shirt to see what the damage was. John wasn’t encouraged by the frown on Carson’s face as he pressed a stethoscope to Rodney’s exposed back nor the startling purple bruising that marked his pale white skin.
Carson gestured towards the Colonel for a private discussion, away from Rodney. Bending close, John spoke, “I’m gonna check on a few things. I’ll be right back. You be okay?”
Rodney gave a very small nod and closed his eyes. John gently stroked his back one more time before joining Carson, who had brought Radek into the discussion. He ignored Carson’s frown when he limped over to them. His foot was throbbing inside his boot, but at least he could put weight on it. He hadn’t realized it was even hurt until he’d tried to stand up.
“Okay, Carson, out with it,” said John, his eyes drifting anxiously to Rodney.
“I don’t like how he sounds or the way he’s still buried. I have no way of knowing how badly he’s hurt, Colonel. His vital signs aren’t good and judging the pain he’s in, he’s not doing well.”
John rubbed his face wearily. Times like this he really hated being in charge. When his decisions affected Rodney it made it that much worse. “What do you suggest?”
“Radek thinks they can force the shield smaller.”
“At what cost to Rodney?” John ground out, piercing Radek with a dark glare. “Do you really want to put him through that again? I felt only a portion of what he’s going through when that shield goes off and I’ll tell you…” His hands clenched into fists as continued, “it’s not pleasant.” Not pleasant was an understatement. It was more like fire dancing across all your nerve endings.
Carson sighed, “No, no I don’t, but we may not have a choice, Colonel. I don’t know how much longer we can afford to wait. We need to get him out of there.”
Eyes drifting to Rodney, John’s heart ached to see him still half buried under the rubble. The part of him that was free, just past his upper back, was covered in deep bruises. It was impossible to know what the rest of him looked like, but the evidence so far wasn’t encouraging. John looked at the expectant faces of Carson and Radek. He hated being the one in charge sometimes, the one that had to make the decisions. Wiping his sweaty face on his shirt sleeve, the hot sun immediately forced the beads of moisture back to his skin.
“Damn it,” huffed John, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked back at Rodney then turned to Radek, “Give me a few minutes to tell him what’s going on. I don’t want you to just spring this on him.” Radek nodded and John glanced at Carson, “Can you give him something for the pain?”
Carson shook his head, “I’m reluctant to give him anything too strong and compromise his breathing any more than it is. I need to know how badly he’s hurt and the level of pain is my only indication at this point.” There was genuine sorrow in Carson’s voice as he spoke, “I’m sorry, I can’t do more for him. Until he’s free and I can determine the damage, I’m leery of giving him anything too strong.”
“I know.” John twitched with the need to return to Rodney, but hesitated, hating to be the bearer of bad news. Drawing a deep breath, he sighed, “Give me a minute.”
Returning to Rodney, he found him asleep, or unconscious, it was hard to tell. Dropping down beside him, he reached out and gently shook him awake, “Rodney?”
The scientist’s eyes fluttered open, glazed over in pain and possibly fever. It was impossible to tell with the heat that rose off the ground in waves. The sun was baking all of them and even with the shade it was unbearably hot. For Rodney, there was no relief. He blinked back to awareness, his mouth opening but only a croak came out. Grabbing his canteen, John dribbled some water into Rodney’s mouth. The sigh of relief from Rodney’s parched lips was painful on more levels than John thought possible.
“Better?” asked John, glad that Rodney couldn’t see the way his hands shook as he recapped the canteen. Rodney closed his eyes and nodded, barely. “Stay with me, I need to talk to you.”
“Tired…hot.”
“Yeah, I know, but I need to tell you something.”
Even in his condition, Rodney must have sensed John’s hesitation. His eyes opened and he looked up at John, panic edging into his features, “What?”
John dropped his head and took a deep breath before he spoke, “Zelenka wants to test the shield. He thinks if we can cause a disturbance, it’ll decrease the radius, maybe let us get you out.”
Rodney’s panic intensified as he realized the implications of what John was saying. His breathing increased sharply and he struggled to move, even pinned as he was. Unable to free himself, Rodney pleaded with John, “No, no, no. I can figure it out. Let me talk to Zelenka.” The effort left him breathless and his eyes drifted shut as he continued to mumble weakly, “Don’t do this. There has to be some other way…just need to figure it out…please.”
Leaning closer, John spoke softly, his hand drifting to Rodney’s upper back without thought. “There’s no time, Rodney. Carson’s gonna have a coronary if we don’t get you out soon. He can’t hover here. It’s driving him crazy.”
There was no response from Rodney, just the trembling beneath John’s hand. Closing his eyes, John dropped his head to his chest and sighed in a half strangled whisper, “I’m sorry, Rodney. If there was any other way…” He squeezed Rodney’s shoulder and leaned back on his heels, “I’m sorry.”
Lifting his head he nodded to Radek, watching as the scientist gave a sad nod in return before turning to the group gathered at the edge of the shield several meters away. Radek spoke to Ronon, who backed a few steps, then forcefully threw himself into the shield.
Shocked by Ronon’s actions, John was ready to leap to his feet when Rodney let out a blood curdling scream. Rodney’s hand scrabbled in the dirt as he tried to pull himself away from the pain that lanced through his body. With the shield and rocks holding him firmly in place, it was a pointless effort and only made the futility of it more distressing. It was agonizing to watch and John reached out to take his hand. Just before he made contact, a blue spark shot out, catching his hand and making him yelp at the sharpness of the pain.
Tears streamed from Rodney’s eyes unbidden. He looked at John, pleading through wild, red rimmed eyes. His mouth opened but no sound came out as he tried to draw in air, his body so tight with pain that even his lungs refused to work. John panicked as Rodney turned redder and more frantic. Lurching to his feet, he covered the short distance to Ronon in a second and body slammed him, sending them both to the ground, but clear of the shield.
They both looked up as the shield sputtered and got smaller. A quick glance at Rodney and both men scrambled to their feet. Others were carefully clearing away more exposed rock, but the scientist was still enclosed within the shield from the waist down. John lost it and vented at Radek, “What the hell was that? You said a test, damn it, not an all out attack.” John turned on Ronon, “And what the fuck did you think you were doing?”
Radek did his best to remain patient, “It is not his fault. When I explained that we needed someone to do the test, Mr. Dex volunteered.” Pushing up his glasses that kept sliding on his sweat covered nose, Radek added remorsefully, “I was hoping that a large enough counterforce might overcome that field’s affects. I am sorry.”
Hands clenched in tight fists, John fought for control over the situation. The only thing that saved Radek from further violence was seeing Carson rushing to Rodney’s side as he was uncovered. John gave Radek and Ronon a dark, piercing look before storming back Rodney.
By the time he knelt beside his friend, the anger had been replaced by deep concern. Rodney was panting for air, his body still tense as he twitched uncontrollably. The pain clear in the almost inaudible whimpers Rodney made as he struggled to find relief from his suffering. Carson was busily cutting away the remainder of his shirt, while John tried to soothe Rodney, who was fighting to get his pinned arm out from under himself. Grabbing Rodney’s arm, John tried to calm him, “Settle down, Rodney. You’re only making it worse.”
Rodney must have found a reserve of energy because his patience snapped. Twisting his head, the scientist glared at John and hissed through clenched teeth, “It…can’t…get…any…worse.”
In the next instant, his arm was free and his hand spasmed open, revealing the source of some of his pain. In his badly burned palm was a crystal, barely distinguishable with the blood and tissue that covered it. Carson gasped and John stared in shock, his stomaching rolling over at the sight. John instinctively reached out to remove it, when Carson stopped him with a firm grip on his forearm. Casting Carson an angry look, he stilled when the doctor shook his head with a determined expression on his face. “I’ll do it, Colonel.”
Rodney was shaking and sweating heavily as he ground out, “God, somebody… do it!”
“It’s burned, Rodney. I don’t want to contaminate it any more than necessary,” said Carson, grabbing several items from his kit as he issued orders to the other medical personnel for supplies and pain medication. John couldn’t make himself watch, instead he concentrated on distracting Rodney. As John switched places with Carson, he was surprised when Rodney lifted his head enough to follow him to the opposite side.
John reached out to stop him, but it was too late. “You shouldn’t be moving.”
The effort exhausted Rodney and his head sank back into the dirt. His voice spoke of his pain and despair, his eyes pleading desperately, “Don’t…let them…do that…again.”
Reaching for Rodney’s hand, John gripped it tight. “I won’t. I promise.”
They sat that way, John holding Rodney’s hand as Carson worked on the other. Rodney had him in a death grip as fresh tears leaking out his tightly closed eyes. “Hurts.”
“I know, he’ll be done soon.” John looked over to Carson for confirmation and got a quick nod.
“Hurts…every where,” moaned Rodney.
Carson spoke to one of his staff then to Rodney. His voice sympathetic, “We’ll give you something more, but I can’t give you too much, Rodney. I’m worried about your breathing as it is and oxygen is out of the question.” He added lightly, “We can’t have you blowin’ up now can we?”
Rodney sighed when the drug coursed through his veins dulling the pain. John watched as his features relaxed for the first time since being trapped. “Better?”
His eyes closed, Rodney answered quietly, “Hmm. I…I…”
“What?” Tell me,” insisted John, still holding Rodney’s hand. Seeing Rodney’s discomfort, John tried to lighten his mood, “This isn’t where you were going to reveal your undying love to me or something is it?”
Rodney actually smiled, “No… I was… saving that… for later.” John felt the grip on his hand tighten despite Rodney’s words and he squeezed back.
John sat beside him, thinking he’d fallen asleep when Rodney muttered groggily, “Need… talk to… Zelenka.”
“I’ll get him.” Rodney nodded and drifted off.
Part Four
Author:
chaps1870Pairing: McShep
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: Alas, they do not belong to me.
Chapter Three
John watched as his own hand slowly found a resting place on Rodney’s upper arm and didn’t make an effort to pull it away. Screw Caldwell and his homophobic rules. “How’s he doing, Carson?”
Carson shrugged, his eyes showing his worry for his friend. “He’s unconscious, thankfully. I’ve got him stabilized for now, but without being able to get to him, I’ve no way of knowing how badly he’s injured.” Looking at John, Carson asked, “How are you doing?”
“Sore.”
“That’s not what I mean,” said Carson.
John slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Carson’s and seeing a sympathetic understanding. He sidestepped the questioning look, “Just make him better and I’ll be fine.”
Shifting, John tried to move so his own body sheltered Rodney from the worst of the sun as his men worked around them both, constructing a more permanent shade. Time dragged, but John seemed oblivious to anything but Rodney. With infinite care, he helped Carson cool the scientist, who only emitted an occasional and far too infrequent response.
“Colonel?”
“Hmm?” said John, shielding his eyes as he looked up at Radek. The man appeared very nervous and hesitant. Whatever was on his mind didn’t bode well. “What is it you don’t want to tell me?”
“Um…we would like to test shield.”
John looked at him skeptically, his own anxiety rising. “Test it. How?”
“The shield decrease was preceded by a disturbance in the field. If this is true and not merely coincidence than we may be able to free Rodney sooner.”
Stunned, John stared for a fraction of a second resisting the urge to shout about the insanity of the plan. He did his best to remain calm, “You saw what that so called disturbance did to Rodney. Do you really want to put him through that again?”
“No, but I do not see any other options. I do not think that him lying buried under all that rock can be good for him either,” said Radek despairingly. Clearly he was worried about his friend and the untold damage Rodney might be suffering under the rocks.
Rubbing the sweat at the back of his neck, John closed his eyes. Opening them he asked, “What about Atlantis? Have they figured anything out?”
“They have found schematics for this site, but so far we have been unable to figure out what the site was intended for. Whatever Rodney did, it triggered the alarms on Atlantis, but we still do not know why.”
John frowned, “So you want to force the shield to shock him, just so it gets smaller?”
About that time the shield began to sputter and Radek jumped back in alarm, watching in horror as the console once again emitted the bolts of blue energy, aiming unerringly for Rodney. The scientist’s body jerked, arching under the electrical web that enclosed him. Colonel Sheppard didn’t fair much better. Even the energy darting over his entrapped foot was enough to send him writhing on the ground in pain. It was heart-wrenching to witness and they were helpless to do anything but wait it out.
When it was over, Rodney slumped back to the ground and began vomiting. In the position he was in, he ended up lying with his cheek in the puddled mess. The closeness made him gag, even though his stomach was empty. Rodney didn’t have the strength to move away even if he could. Sheppard lay on the ground, trying to find his breath.
The surge had again decreased the size of the field and shouting alerted John to the change. Seeing Rodney’s labored breathing, a combination of retching and the weight on his back, John and Radek both scrambled forward and removed rocks from Rodney’s upper back. It wasn’t much, but every foot of untrapped Rodney was good. Doing all that he could, John returned to kneel beside McKay’s head as Zelenka hurried to check the latest readings on the shield.
Carson was scooping away the contaminated dirt from under Rodney’s head, removing the foul substance in an attempt to make the scientist more comfortable. Handing Sheppard a canteen, Carson spoke, “See if you can get him to drink some. Not too much though. I don’t know what kind of internal injuries he might have and I’d rather not exacerbate that. Don’t let him move his head.” His professional tone did very little to hide the internal turmoil or helplessness that was there in Carson’s eyes.
Nodding, John took the canteen and bent over a shivering Rodney. Shock was setting in and Carson was doing his best to control the situation. Cupping his hand, John poured some water into it and tried getting Rodney to drink. It was clumsy and messy but he managed to get his friend to take some. “Rinse and spit.” Rodney complied but it was more rinse and drool. John wiped his face and started the process over, this time letting Rodney swallow. It was followed by a strained sigh, “Thanks. Bedside manner…sucks.”
John found it hard to smile seeing the effort it took for Rodney to even speak those few words, but he did his best to lighten the mood. “Yeah, next time I’ll be sure to pack a straw.” His expression turned serious as Rodney tried to laugh and ended up coughing painfully. “Easy.” Resting his hand lightly on Rodney’s back, John rubbed it in lazy circles as his eyes darted frantically to Carson.
The doctor was already cutting away McKay’s shirt to see what the damage was. John wasn’t encouraged by the frown on Carson’s face as he pressed a stethoscope to Rodney’s exposed back nor the startling purple bruising that marked his pale white skin.
Carson gestured towards the Colonel for a private discussion, away from Rodney. Bending close, John spoke, “I’m gonna check on a few things. I’ll be right back. You be okay?”
Rodney gave a very small nod and closed his eyes. John gently stroked his back one more time before joining Carson, who had brought Radek into the discussion. He ignored Carson’s frown when he limped over to them. His foot was throbbing inside his boot, but at least he could put weight on it. He hadn’t realized it was even hurt until he’d tried to stand up.
“Okay, Carson, out with it,” said John, his eyes drifting anxiously to Rodney.
“I don’t like how he sounds or the way he’s still buried. I have no way of knowing how badly he’s hurt, Colonel. His vital signs aren’t good and judging the pain he’s in, he’s not doing well.”
John rubbed his face wearily. Times like this he really hated being in charge. When his decisions affected Rodney it made it that much worse. “What do you suggest?”
“Radek thinks they can force the shield smaller.”
“At what cost to Rodney?” John ground out, piercing Radek with a dark glare. “Do you really want to put him through that again? I felt only a portion of what he’s going through when that shield goes off and I’ll tell you…” His hands clenched into fists as continued, “it’s not pleasant.” Not pleasant was an understatement. It was more like fire dancing across all your nerve endings.
Carson sighed, “No, no I don’t, but we may not have a choice, Colonel. I don’t know how much longer we can afford to wait. We need to get him out of there.”
Eyes drifting to Rodney, John’s heart ached to see him still half buried under the rubble. The part of him that was free, just past his upper back, was covered in deep bruises. It was impossible to know what the rest of him looked like, but the evidence so far wasn’t encouraging. John looked at the expectant faces of Carson and Radek. He hated being the one in charge sometimes, the one that had to make the decisions. Wiping his sweaty face on his shirt sleeve, the hot sun immediately forced the beads of moisture back to his skin.
“Damn it,” huffed John, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked back at Rodney then turned to Radek, “Give me a few minutes to tell him what’s going on. I don’t want you to just spring this on him.” Radek nodded and John glanced at Carson, “Can you give him something for the pain?”
Carson shook his head, “I’m reluctant to give him anything too strong and compromise his breathing any more than it is. I need to know how badly he’s hurt and the level of pain is my only indication at this point.” There was genuine sorrow in Carson’s voice as he spoke, “I’m sorry, I can’t do more for him. Until he’s free and I can determine the damage, I’m leery of giving him anything too strong.”
“I know.” John twitched with the need to return to Rodney, but hesitated, hating to be the bearer of bad news. Drawing a deep breath, he sighed, “Give me a minute.”
Returning to Rodney, he found him asleep, or unconscious, it was hard to tell. Dropping down beside him, he reached out and gently shook him awake, “Rodney?”
The scientist’s eyes fluttered open, glazed over in pain and possibly fever. It was impossible to tell with the heat that rose off the ground in waves. The sun was baking all of them and even with the shade it was unbearably hot. For Rodney, there was no relief. He blinked back to awareness, his mouth opening but only a croak came out. Grabbing his canteen, John dribbled some water into Rodney’s mouth. The sigh of relief from Rodney’s parched lips was painful on more levels than John thought possible.
“Better?” asked John, glad that Rodney couldn’t see the way his hands shook as he recapped the canteen. Rodney closed his eyes and nodded, barely. “Stay with me, I need to talk to you.”
“Tired…hot.”
“Yeah, I know, but I need to tell you something.”
Even in his condition, Rodney must have sensed John’s hesitation. His eyes opened and he looked up at John, panic edging into his features, “What?”
John dropped his head and took a deep breath before he spoke, “Zelenka wants to test the shield. He thinks if we can cause a disturbance, it’ll decrease the radius, maybe let us get you out.”
Rodney’s panic intensified as he realized the implications of what John was saying. His breathing increased sharply and he struggled to move, even pinned as he was. Unable to free himself, Rodney pleaded with John, “No, no, no. I can figure it out. Let me talk to Zelenka.” The effort left him breathless and his eyes drifted shut as he continued to mumble weakly, “Don’t do this. There has to be some other way…just need to figure it out…please.”
Leaning closer, John spoke softly, his hand drifting to Rodney’s upper back without thought. “There’s no time, Rodney. Carson’s gonna have a coronary if we don’t get you out soon. He can’t hover here. It’s driving him crazy.”
There was no response from Rodney, just the trembling beneath John’s hand. Closing his eyes, John dropped his head to his chest and sighed in a half strangled whisper, “I’m sorry, Rodney. If there was any other way…” He squeezed Rodney’s shoulder and leaned back on his heels, “I’m sorry.”
Lifting his head he nodded to Radek, watching as the scientist gave a sad nod in return before turning to the group gathered at the edge of the shield several meters away. Radek spoke to Ronon, who backed a few steps, then forcefully threw himself into the shield.
Shocked by Ronon’s actions, John was ready to leap to his feet when Rodney let out a blood curdling scream. Rodney’s hand scrabbled in the dirt as he tried to pull himself away from the pain that lanced through his body. With the shield and rocks holding him firmly in place, it was a pointless effort and only made the futility of it more distressing. It was agonizing to watch and John reached out to take his hand. Just before he made contact, a blue spark shot out, catching his hand and making him yelp at the sharpness of the pain.
Tears streamed from Rodney’s eyes unbidden. He looked at John, pleading through wild, red rimmed eyes. His mouth opened but no sound came out as he tried to draw in air, his body so tight with pain that even his lungs refused to work. John panicked as Rodney turned redder and more frantic. Lurching to his feet, he covered the short distance to Ronon in a second and body slammed him, sending them both to the ground, but clear of the shield.
They both looked up as the shield sputtered and got smaller. A quick glance at Rodney and both men scrambled to their feet. Others were carefully clearing away more exposed rock, but the scientist was still enclosed within the shield from the waist down. John lost it and vented at Radek, “What the hell was that? You said a test, damn it, not an all out attack.” John turned on Ronon, “And what the fuck did you think you were doing?”
Radek did his best to remain patient, “It is not his fault. When I explained that we needed someone to do the test, Mr. Dex volunteered.” Pushing up his glasses that kept sliding on his sweat covered nose, Radek added remorsefully, “I was hoping that a large enough counterforce might overcome that field’s affects. I am sorry.”
Hands clenched in tight fists, John fought for control over the situation. The only thing that saved Radek from further violence was seeing Carson rushing to Rodney’s side as he was uncovered. John gave Radek and Ronon a dark, piercing look before storming back Rodney.
By the time he knelt beside his friend, the anger had been replaced by deep concern. Rodney was panting for air, his body still tense as he twitched uncontrollably. The pain clear in the almost inaudible whimpers Rodney made as he struggled to find relief from his suffering. Carson was busily cutting away the remainder of his shirt, while John tried to soothe Rodney, who was fighting to get his pinned arm out from under himself. Grabbing Rodney’s arm, John tried to calm him, “Settle down, Rodney. You’re only making it worse.”
Rodney must have found a reserve of energy because his patience snapped. Twisting his head, the scientist glared at John and hissed through clenched teeth, “It…can’t…get…any…worse.”
In the next instant, his arm was free and his hand spasmed open, revealing the source of some of his pain. In his badly burned palm was a crystal, barely distinguishable with the blood and tissue that covered it. Carson gasped and John stared in shock, his stomaching rolling over at the sight. John instinctively reached out to remove it, when Carson stopped him with a firm grip on his forearm. Casting Carson an angry look, he stilled when the doctor shook his head with a determined expression on his face. “I’ll do it, Colonel.”
Rodney was shaking and sweating heavily as he ground out, “God, somebody… do it!”
“It’s burned, Rodney. I don’t want to contaminate it any more than necessary,” said Carson, grabbing several items from his kit as he issued orders to the other medical personnel for supplies and pain medication. John couldn’t make himself watch, instead he concentrated on distracting Rodney. As John switched places with Carson, he was surprised when Rodney lifted his head enough to follow him to the opposite side.
John reached out to stop him, but it was too late. “You shouldn’t be moving.”
The effort exhausted Rodney and his head sank back into the dirt. His voice spoke of his pain and despair, his eyes pleading desperately, “Don’t…let them…do that…again.”
Reaching for Rodney’s hand, John gripped it tight. “I won’t. I promise.”
They sat that way, John holding Rodney’s hand as Carson worked on the other. Rodney had him in a death grip as fresh tears leaking out his tightly closed eyes. “Hurts.”
“I know, he’ll be done soon.” John looked over to Carson for confirmation and got a quick nod.
“Hurts…every where,” moaned Rodney.
Carson spoke to one of his staff then to Rodney. His voice sympathetic, “We’ll give you something more, but I can’t give you too much, Rodney. I’m worried about your breathing as it is and oxygen is out of the question.” He added lightly, “We can’t have you blowin’ up now can we?”
Rodney sighed when the drug coursed through his veins dulling the pain. John watched as his features relaxed for the first time since being trapped. “Better?”
His eyes closed, Rodney answered quietly, “Hmm. I…I…”
“What?” Tell me,” insisted John, still holding Rodney’s hand. Seeing Rodney’s discomfort, John tried to lighten his mood, “This isn’t where you were going to reveal your undying love to me or something is it?”
Rodney actually smiled, “No… I was… saving that… for later.” John felt the grip on his hand tighten despite Rodney’s words and he squeezed back.
John sat beside him, thinking he’d fallen asleep when Rodney muttered groggily, “Need… talk to… Zelenka.”
“I’ll get him.” Rodney nodded and drifted off.
Part Four
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Great job.
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