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Title: Trapped 4/6
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 Four
When Sheppard returned with Zelenka, Carson was sitting with Rodney under the canopy of shade, trying to cool him down as he continued to monitor his vitals. Rodney was obviously asleep, or too drugged to care. Both John and Radek ducked under the shade. Wincing as he stretched out his aching foot, John turned his head away hoping to hide the pain from Carson.
“How is he doing?” asked Radek, hesitantly, his guilt over Rodney’s present state obvious.
“Better I think, without all the rocks on his back. I can only do so much out here. I don’t dare sedate him without being able to monitor him completely. He’s got a few broken ribs and some serious bruising. I wasn’t expecting his hand to be burned like that, so now we have to worry about infection. Burns can be nasty under the best of conditions. He said his leg hurts, but I’ve no way of knowing why or how bad.”
John frowned then turned to Radek, asking curiously, “If the crystal is out here and not in McKay’s hand does that mean it won’t try shocking him now?”
Radek shrugged, “We know now that the shield was supposed to decrease incrementally as it has been doing. However, ten thousand years is long time to expect it to still work as it is supposed to. Rodney triggered something and having the crystal in his hand gave the machine a target so to speak.”
Hearing Zelenka’s voice, Rodney began to stir, “Radek?”
Kneeling closer, Radek answered softly, “Yes, Rodney. I am here.”
“Show me… what you… have?” said Rodney, his eyes glassy and his voice drawled in his drug induced state.
“Yes, yes of course,” said Radek, desperate for some meaningful input into the problem. As smart as the other scientists were, they did not possess McKay’s insight and Radek found himself missing the sharp intellect of his colleague. He tried holding the datapad for Rodney to read, but it proved impossible. Radek related what he knew, trying to get from McKay what he’d discovered prior to their arrival. After half hour of Rodney drifting in and out and Radek pulling him back, they were both frustrated.
According to Rodney, the facility was an Ancient detention area or in short, a prison of sorts, meant to keep the worst of the worst in stasis and away from the main population. When Rodney had activated the once dead console, it considered Rodney an escapee and had triggered the defensive shield, which in turn alerted Atlantis, hence the alarms they’d received. Explained that way it all began to make sense, but it still didn’t explain why they couldn’t turn the shield off. Surely the Ancients had a way to enter the facility once the shield was activated.
When it appeared that Rodney could do no more, Radek sighed, no closer to an answer than he was before. Rodney’s eyes fluttered open and he began drawing in the dirt, his hand shaking with the effort. They all watched in fascination as he drew a circle then placed eleven dots around the circle at equal intervals. With the last of his strength, he muttered, “Answer.”
Radek stared at the dirt until Sheppard nudged him. “Well?”
Scratching his head, Radek sighed wearily, “I have no idea.” He did a rough sketch on the datapad, muttering as he walked back to the other scientists. His head down, he was almost to them when he suddenly stopped, and dropped to his knees. Setting the datapad aside, he swept away rocks and dirt then lurched to his feet, dropped down several meters later and repeated the frantic sweeping. His colleagues stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Radek jumped to his feet and began issuing orders. John and Carson watched as he barked at his scientists when they hesitated. When they finally understood what he wanted they set to work while he rushed back to Sheppard. His face was alight with excitement, “The picture. The large circle is the shield. Around it are eleven circles.” He pointed to where his team was working to clear the stone pads. “Those are what Rodney drew.”
John tried to curb his own excitement and hope, “And how does this help Rodney?”
Radek’s enthusiasm deflated and his shoulders slumped, “I do not know, but it is something. We just have to figure out what.”
Motioning to Carson, John spoke, “Stay with Rodney. I need to check this out.”
He rose to his feet, grimacing as he put weight on the injured foot. He limped along with Radek until they reached the first circle. John asked as he toed the stone. “What does it do?”
“I don’t know, Colonel. Rodney seems to think it was important,” answered Radek. “I do not know how clear his thinking is. It may be nothing.”
John shook his head, “No. He was pretty adamant about not wanting to force the shield smaller again, so he was pretty desperate to find a solution. He was on to something.”
Radek nodded, “Yes, but what. Why would circles around a prison be significant?”
Trying to figure out where they stood, John reasoned out loud, stating the obvious, “So the shield would activate if someone escaped. So the entrance or exit from the prison would have to be inside the shield or what would be the point.”
“I suppose, but how does that help us?”
John continued his line of thought. “Okay, so the prisoner is now inside the shield and an alarm goes off in Atlantis, alerting them to an escape. Only they don’t have to worry about escape because the shield is holding the prisoner. Right?”
“Yes that makes sense and the shield became progressively smaller until they arrived. The question is why?”
“Well a smaller field would make it easier for them to contain the prisoner. Kind of like circling the enemy, moving closer until he has no chance for escape.”
Radek suddenly pointed his finger skyward as he made the connection, “Yes, yes, yes, that is it.” He darted between two of the circles. “The circles would be inside the shield originally, inside the building itself. Once the shield was small enough there would be enough room for the Ancients to enter building and stand between shield and wall of the building.”
John smiled, “Eleven security members.”
“Exactly.” Radek raised his voice to those loitering about the ruins. “I need you to step onto the stone circles. Eleven of you.” When they hesitated, he clapped his hands. “Spe`chati, quickly.”
When everyone was in position, John and Radek watched nervously. When nothing happened, John scowled, “That went well. Now what?”
Radek chewed on a nail as he stared at the expectant faces of those standing on the stones, shifting uncomfortably as if on display. “That’s it! They do not have gene. It would only register Ancients. We need people with gene to make it work.” He muttered under his breath, “I hope.”
“How many do we have here?” John asked, glancing around to see if he could remember who had the gene and who didn’t. “Me, Lorne, Carson, Zamora…”
Radek added a few names, “Kusanagi, Jamal…that is only six.”
Sheppard called to Lorne, “Take the jumper. Tell Weir we need six people with the gene to get here ASAP. Wait for them.”
Carson spoke up quickly, “Major Lorne, please take Samuels and Raskin back with you and bring the Prusha’s back with you.”
“We only need five, Colonel,” said Radek, puzzled by the number.
Shaking his head, John explained matter-of-factly, “No, Carson’s staying with Rodney.”
“Ah, of course.” Radek added, nodding towards where Rodney lay, “Perhaps you should check on him while we wait.”
“Good idea,” said Sheppard, hurrying back to McKay, who was staring blankly at the ground. “Hey, Rodney, you still with us?”
“Unh.”
“Is that a yes or no?” teased John, hoping to get a more enthusiastic response from his friend. Rodney’s pale complexion and raspy breaths were disconcerting. He was sweating heavily, either from heat or fever, it was hard to tell. Carson was diligently cooling him down as best he could in the sweltering heat. Rodney closed his eyes with a sigh as the coolness touch his skin
John squinted as he looked up at the two suns sinking lower on the horizon. “It’s gonna get cold soon.”
Red-faced and sweaty, Carson sighed tiredly, “I can’t say it would be unwelcome after this heat. Although, I don’t think it will be doing Rodney any favors. I’d rather not deal with him getting chilled at this point. He has enough to worry about.”
“Carson?” questioned Sheppard quietly, seeing the deep lines of concern on the doctor’s face.
“He’s not doing so well. His blood pressure is very low with the painkillers I’ve given him, but without proper monitoring I don’t dare give him more, so he’s in a quite a bit of pain. His breathing is getting worse and lying on his stomach can’t be helping if his ribs are broken. The fact that he’s not moaning about it is not a good sign.” Carson tried to remain professional, but his helplessness became a sigh of frustration, “His hand was very badly burned and I don’t think bein’ out here in the dirt is doin’ it any good. He’s already runnin’ a fever and I’ve no idea how badly he’s injured. He could be bleedin’ inside for all I know and there’s not a thing I can do about it.”
“Thanks for the pick me up, Doc,” sighed Sheppard, his shoulders slumping with his own frustration. Reaching for the rag that Carson was using to cool Rodney, John took over, wiping away the beaded moisture from the scientist’s face, neck and back.
Rodney stirred, muttering about the pain, but otherwise was still. John tried to offer reassurances, “We’ll have you out of there real soon, Rodney.”
Drawing a painful breath, Rodney stammered very softly, “Hurts… need…to tell…you…”
John interrupted, his voice had an edge to it, “No, you don’t. You can say all you want when we get out of here.”
Hand scrambling in the dirt, Rodney tried to reach for Sheppard, “Need… to say…this… please.”
His chest tightening, John glanced at Carson nervously. Carson caught his gaze, his eyes speaking more than words could, “I need to get a few things from the jumper. I’ll be right back.”
Watching until Carson was out of earshot, John looked down at Rodney, who was staring absently, his eyes unfocused. “You said you wouldn’t do this.”
“Lied.” Rodney tried to smirk, but it came out a rough cough, causing him to groan as it racked his body. It took a bit for him to regain his breath. “I just… need… just…in case.”
John’s mouth went dry and it was hard to respond given the ache in his chest. His voice came out hoarse with emotion, “You’re gonna be fine, Rodney.”
“Shut up…” The impatience of Rodney’s tone was lost in another cough. Several shuddering breaths later he continued, “Know you…don’t see me… the same… just buddyfu….” His eyes closed, the effort draining him and leaving him exhausted.
Reaching out, John nudged at him, his hand shaking with the rising fear. “Rodney, stay awake.” Rodney didn’t move, having drifted back into unconsciousness. John’s hand squeezed lightly as he muttered under his breath, “Damn it, Rodney. You can’t leave me now.”
The wait seemed forever and Carson only returned to John and Rodney as the other jumper finally arrived. Sheppard was on his feet, waiting for the rear hatch to open before it even settled on the ground. As soldiers and scientists appeared, the Colonel began issuing commands, getting everyone into position. Standing near the stone pad closest to Rodney, he took a deep breath, nodded to Carson and stepped forward. The shield shimmered for a second but stayed on and Sheppard shouted to everyone, “Think off!”
In the next instant the shield disappeared with an almost anticlimactic silence. Carson didn’t waste a second and began issuing his own commands. “Move those rocks off him, carefully.”
There was a flurry of activity, everyone mindful that McKay was under the debris. Minutes ticked by as he was slowly uncovered, his muted cries punctuating the silence. Beckett and Sheppard both sat on opposite sides of Rodney, doing there best to keep him from thrashing as more of his legs were exposed. He was panting heavily and desperately trying to get away from the sudden onslaught of pain.
“Stop….please stop. My leg…god…stop,” whimpered Rodney, trying in vain to reach for his leg. Everyone but the two men backed away once the area was cleared. Carson grabbed Rodney’s hand to keep him from touching the now exposed limb. Even without a thorough examination, Carson knew it was broken. Rodney’s thigh obviously swollen and if that wasn’t enough indication, then the fact that the right leg was now three or four inches shorter was a dead give away. Carson cringed inwardly. Having the bones grinding against each other every time Rodney moved had to be excruciating.
Leaning closer to Rodney, Carson spoke in a calm, reassuring voice, “You need to settle down, Rodney. Stop moving. You’re only making the pain worse.”
Rodney tried to relax even as his body trembled in pain. He begged Carson through tear filled eyes and gasping breaths. “Please… give me… something.”
Shaking his head, Carson closed his eyes very briefly. This was one of the dangers of having patients that were friends and it tore at him to refuse Rodney, “I can’t, Rodney. Not yet.”
Kneeling beside Rodney, John’s fingers dug painfully into his thighs as he watched his friend beg for relief from the pain. He wanted to reach out and comfort him somehow, but feared it would make things worse.
Carson looked up at the medics, Lonnie and Fran Prusha. They were the best he had and he’d fought to get them the clearance to work at Atlantis as one of the few married couples that had made the expedition. There was no one better in the field when it came to trauma patients. He nodded to them and spoke to Rodney, “They’re going to get you ready to take back to Atlantis now and I want you to cooperate. No being you’re irascible self.” Glancing at Sheppard, he spoke, “We need to get out of their way. They’ll take care of him.”
John was surprised that Carson was handing Rodney’s care over to someone else, and it showed in his face. Carson quickly reassured him as he pulled him away, “They know what they’re doing and they are very good at it. Watch.”
He watched as Fran quickly took Carson’s place by Rodney’s head and slipping her hand into his, began speaking to him, her voice soft and soothing. “I know this hurts Rodney and I promise that we’ll give you something for the pain as soon as possible, but right now I need you to stay still. I’m going to tell you everything we’re doing so nothing comes as a surprise.”
“Hurts,” whispered Rodney, dwelling only on his pain.
Fran bent closer, her words lost to any one but Rodney. Whatever was said seemed to calm him and he nodded his head slowly. She slipped a much welcome oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and gave his hand a final squeeze before moving off to help Lonnie. Her continued litany of what they were doing, voice never wavering from its comforting tone, was mesmerizing to the patient and Rodney seemed to accept that they were doing the best they could not to cause him further pain.
John watched in awe as she and Lonnie worked quickly, no wasted motion as they cut away his shoes, socks and pants, relayed information to Carson and began the task of prepping Rodney for travel. They slipped a backboard under him, put his leg in some sort of temporary traction device and all of a sudden he was ready for transport. Rodney had remained surprisingly still throughout, the only indication of his discomfort was an occasional moan and a white knuckled fist.
As the two medics finished, Carson and John both stepped forward and the four of them carefully lifted and moved Rodney into the jumper. Fran held Rodney’s hand and continued her soft, lulling words that only the scientist was privileged to. John had to admit that Carson was right, the two medics were very good. Most of the time Carson wasn’t afforded the opportunity to hand off care to someone else when time was an issue. This time he’d stepped aside, knowing the two medics could handle Rodney much more quickly and efficiently. It was just another reason why Carson was Chief Medical Officer. He knew when to delegate tasks to others more qualified then himself.
Carson okayed more pain medication once they determined the extent of Rodney’s injuries and weren’t afraid of his blood pressure plummeting or his breathing diminishing further. The ride back to Atlantis was quiet, three of them closely monitoring Rodney’s vitals while the fourth looked on in silence, hands shaking with the need to comfort but restricted by more than just time or place. The last several hours settled on John and he felt a helplessness and ache that he hadn’t thought possible.
Part Five
Author:
chaps1870Pairing: McShep
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: Alas, they do not belong to me.
Chapter Four
When Sheppard returned with Zelenka, Carson was sitting with Rodney under the canopy of shade, trying to cool him down as he continued to monitor his vitals. Rodney was obviously asleep, or too drugged to care. Both John and Radek ducked under the shade. Wincing as he stretched out his aching foot, John turned his head away hoping to hide the pain from Carson.
“How is he doing?” asked Radek, hesitantly, his guilt over Rodney’s present state obvious.
“Better I think, without all the rocks on his back. I can only do so much out here. I don’t dare sedate him without being able to monitor him completely. He’s got a few broken ribs and some serious bruising. I wasn’t expecting his hand to be burned like that, so now we have to worry about infection. Burns can be nasty under the best of conditions. He said his leg hurts, but I’ve no way of knowing why or how bad.”
John frowned then turned to Radek, asking curiously, “If the crystal is out here and not in McKay’s hand does that mean it won’t try shocking him now?”
Radek shrugged, “We know now that the shield was supposed to decrease incrementally as it has been doing. However, ten thousand years is long time to expect it to still work as it is supposed to. Rodney triggered something and having the crystal in his hand gave the machine a target so to speak.”
Hearing Zelenka’s voice, Rodney began to stir, “Radek?”
Kneeling closer, Radek answered softly, “Yes, Rodney. I am here.”
“Show me… what you… have?” said Rodney, his eyes glassy and his voice drawled in his drug induced state.
“Yes, yes of course,” said Radek, desperate for some meaningful input into the problem. As smart as the other scientists were, they did not possess McKay’s insight and Radek found himself missing the sharp intellect of his colleague. He tried holding the datapad for Rodney to read, but it proved impossible. Radek related what he knew, trying to get from McKay what he’d discovered prior to their arrival. After half hour of Rodney drifting in and out and Radek pulling him back, they were both frustrated.
According to Rodney, the facility was an Ancient detention area or in short, a prison of sorts, meant to keep the worst of the worst in stasis and away from the main population. When Rodney had activated the once dead console, it considered Rodney an escapee and had triggered the defensive shield, which in turn alerted Atlantis, hence the alarms they’d received. Explained that way it all began to make sense, but it still didn’t explain why they couldn’t turn the shield off. Surely the Ancients had a way to enter the facility once the shield was activated.
When it appeared that Rodney could do no more, Radek sighed, no closer to an answer than he was before. Rodney’s eyes fluttered open and he began drawing in the dirt, his hand shaking with the effort. They all watched in fascination as he drew a circle then placed eleven dots around the circle at equal intervals. With the last of his strength, he muttered, “Answer.”
Radek stared at the dirt until Sheppard nudged him. “Well?”
Scratching his head, Radek sighed wearily, “I have no idea.” He did a rough sketch on the datapad, muttering as he walked back to the other scientists. His head down, he was almost to them when he suddenly stopped, and dropped to his knees. Setting the datapad aside, he swept away rocks and dirt then lurched to his feet, dropped down several meters later and repeated the frantic sweeping. His colleagues stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Radek jumped to his feet and began issuing orders. John and Carson watched as he barked at his scientists when they hesitated. When they finally understood what he wanted they set to work while he rushed back to Sheppard. His face was alight with excitement, “The picture. The large circle is the shield. Around it are eleven circles.” He pointed to where his team was working to clear the stone pads. “Those are what Rodney drew.”
John tried to curb his own excitement and hope, “And how does this help Rodney?”
Radek’s enthusiasm deflated and his shoulders slumped, “I do not know, but it is something. We just have to figure out what.”
Motioning to Carson, John spoke, “Stay with Rodney. I need to check this out.”
He rose to his feet, grimacing as he put weight on the injured foot. He limped along with Radek until they reached the first circle. John asked as he toed the stone. “What does it do?”
“I don’t know, Colonel. Rodney seems to think it was important,” answered Radek. “I do not know how clear his thinking is. It may be nothing.”
John shook his head, “No. He was pretty adamant about not wanting to force the shield smaller again, so he was pretty desperate to find a solution. He was on to something.”
Radek nodded, “Yes, but what. Why would circles around a prison be significant?”
Trying to figure out where they stood, John reasoned out loud, stating the obvious, “So the shield would activate if someone escaped. So the entrance or exit from the prison would have to be inside the shield or what would be the point.”
“I suppose, but how does that help us?”
John continued his line of thought. “Okay, so the prisoner is now inside the shield and an alarm goes off in Atlantis, alerting them to an escape. Only they don’t have to worry about escape because the shield is holding the prisoner. Right?”
“Yes that makes sense and the shield became progressively smaller until they arrived. The question is why?”
“Well a smaller field would make it easier for them to contain the prisoner. Kind of like circling the enemy, moving closer until he has no chance for escape.”
Radek suddenly pointed his finger skyward as he made the connection, “Yes, yes, yes, that is it.” He darted between two of the circles. “The circles would be inside the shield originally, inside the building itself. Once the shield was small enough there would be enough room for the Ancients to enter building and stand between shield and wall of the building.”
John smiled, “Eleven security members.”
“Exactly.” Radek raised his voice to those loitering about the ruins. “I need you to step onto the stone circles. Eleven of you.” When they hesitated, he clapped his hands. “Spe`chati, quickly.”
When everyone was in position, John and Radek watched nervously. When nothing happened, John scowled, “That went well. Now what?”
Radek chewed on a nail as he stared at the expectant faces of those standing on the stones, shifting uncomfortably as if on display. “That’s it! They do not have gene. It would only register Ancients. We need people with gene to make it work.” He muttered under his breath, “I hope.”
“How many do we have here?” John asked, glancing around to see if he could remember who had the gene and who didn’t. “Me, Lorne, Carson, Zamora…”
Radek added a few names, “Kusanagi, Jamal…that is only six.”
Sheppard called to Lorne, “Take the jumper. Tell Weir we need six people with the gene to get here ASAP. Wait for them.”
Carson spoke up quickly, “Major Lorne, please take Samuels and Raskin back with you and bring the Prusha’s back with you.”
“We only need five, Colonel,” said Radek, puzzled by the number.
Shaking his head, John explained matter-of-factly, “No, Carson’s staying with Rodney.”
“Ah, of course.” Radek added, nodding towards where Rodney lay, “Perhaps you should check on him while we wait.”
“Good idea,” said Sheppard, hurrying back to McKay, who was staring blankly at the ground. “Hey, Rodney, you still with us?”
“Unh.”
“Is that a yes or no?” teased John, hoping to get a more enthusiastic response from his friend. Rodney’s pale complexion and raspy breaths were disconcerting. He was sweating heavily, either from heat or fever, it was hard to tell. Carson was diligently cooling him down as best he could in the sweltering heat. Rodney closed his eyes with a sigh as the coolness touch his skin
John squinted as he looked up at the two suns sinking lower on the horizon. “It’s gonna get cold soon.”
Red-faced and sweaty, Carson sighed tiredly, “I can’t say it would be unwelcome after this heat. Although, I don’t think it will be doing Rodney any favors. I’d rather not deal with him getting chilled at this point. He has enough to worry about.”
“Carson?” questioned Sheppard quietly, seeing the deep lines of concern on the doctor’s face.
“He’s not doing so well. His blood pressure is very low with the painkillers I’ve given him, but without proper monitoring I don’t dare give him more, so he’s in a quite a bit of pain. His breathing is getting worse and lying on his stomach can’t be helping if his ribs are broken. The fact that he’s not moaning about it is not a good sign.” Carson tried to remain professional, but his helplessness became a sigh of frustration, “His hand was very badly burned and I don’t think bein’ out here in the dirt is doin’ it any good. He’s already runnin’ a fever and I’ve no idea how badly he’s injured. He could be bleedin’ inside for all I know and there’s not a thing I can do about it.”
“Thanks for the pick me up, Doc,” sighed Sheppard, his shoulders slumping with his own frustration. Reaching for the rag that Carson was using to cool Rodney, John took over, wiping away the beaded moisture from the scientist’s face, neck and back.
Rodney stirred, muttering about the pain, but otherwise was still. John tried to offer reassurances, “We’ll have you out of there real soon, Rodney.”
Drawing a painful breath, Rodney stammered very softly, “Hurts… need…to tell…you…”
John interrupted, his voice had an edge to it, “No, you don’t. You can say all you want when we get out of here.”
Hand scrambling in the dirt, Rodney tried to reach for Sheppard, “Need… to say…this… please.”
His chest tightening, John glanced at Carson nervously. Carson caught his gaze, his eyes speaking more than words could, “I need to get a few things from the jumper. I’ll be right back.”
Watching until Carson was out of earshot, John looked down at Rodney, who was staring absently, his eyes unfocused. “You said you wouldn’t do this.”
“Lied.” Rodney tried to smirk, but it came out a rough cough, causing him to groan as it racked his body. It took a bit for him to regain his breath. “I just… need… just…in case.”
John’s mouth went dry and it was hard to respond given the ache in his chest. His voice came out hoarse with emotion, “You’re gonna be fine, Rodney.”
“Shut up…” The impatience of Rodney’s tone was lost in another cough. Several shuddering breaths later he continued, “Know you…don’t see me… the same… just buddyfu….” His eyes closed, the effort draining him and leaving him exhausted.
Reaching out, John nudged at him, his hand shaking with the rising fear. “Rodney, stay awake.” Rodney didn’t move, having drifted back into unconsciousness. John’s hand squeezed lightly as he muttered under his breath, “Damn it, Rodney. You can’t leave me now.”
The wait seemed forever and Carson only returned to John and Rodney as the other jumper finally arrived. Sheppard was on his feet, waiting for the rear hatch to open before it even settled on the ground. As soldiers and scientists appeared, the Colonel began issuing commands, getting everyone into position. Standing near the stone pad closest to Rodney, he took a deep breath, nodded to Carson and stepped forward. The shield shimmered for a second but stayed on and Sheppard shouted to everyone, “Think off!”
In the next instant the shield disappeared with an almost anticlimactic silence. Carson didn’t waste a second and began issuing his own commands. “Move those rocks off him, carefully.”
There was a flurry of activity, everyone mindful that McKay was under the debris. Minutes ticked by as he was slowly uncovered, his muted cries punctuating the silence. Beckett and Sheppard both sat on opposite sides of Rodney, doing there best to keep him from thrashing as more of his legs were exposed. He was panting heavily and desperately trying to get away from the sudden onslaught of pain.
“Stop….please stop. My leg…god…stop,” whimpered Rodney, trying in vain to reach for his leg. Everyone but the two men backed away once the area was cleared. Carson grabbed Rodney’s hand to keep him from touching the now exposed limb. Even without a thorough examination, Carson knew it was broken. Rodney’s thigh obviously swollen and if that wasn’t enough indication, then the fact that the right leg was now three or four inches shorter was a dead give away. Carson cringed inwardly. Having the bones grinding against each other every time Rodney moved had to be excruciating.
Leaning closer to Rodney, Carson spoke in a calm, reassuring voice, “You need to settle down, Rodney. Stop moving. You’re only making the pain worse.”
Rodney tried to relax even as his body trembled in pain. He begged Carson through tear filled eyes and gasping breaths. “Please… give me… something.”
Shaking his head, Carson closed his eyes very briefly. This was one of the dangers of having patients that were friends and it tore at him to refuse Rodney, “I can’t, Rodney. Not yet.”
Kneeling beside Rodney, John’s fingers dug painfully into his thighs as he watched his friend beg for relief from the pain. He wanted to reach out and comfort him somehow, but feared it would make things worse.
Carson looked up at the medics, Lonnie and Fran Prusha. They were the best he had and he’d fought to get them the clearance to work at Atlantis as one of the few married couples that had made the expedition. There was no one better in the field when it came to trauma patients. He nodded to them and spoke to Rodney, “They’re going to get you ready to take back to Atlantis now and I want you to cooperate. No being you’re irascible self.” Glancing at Sheppard, he spoke, “We need to get out of their way. They’ll take care of him.”
John was surprised that Carson was handing Rodney’s care over to someone else, and it showed in his face. Carson quickly reassured him as he pulled him away, “They know what they’re doing and they are very good at it. Watch.”
He watched as Fran quickly took Carson’s place by Rodney’s head and slipping her hand into his, began speaking to him, her voice soft and soothing. “I know this hurts Rodney and I promise that we’ll give you something for the pain as soon as possible, but right now I need you to stay still. I’m going to tell you everything we’re doing so nothing comes as a surprise.”
“Hurts,” whispered Rodney, dwelling only on his pain.
Fran bent closer, her words lost to any one but Rodney. Whatever was said seemed to calm him and he nodded his head slowly. She slipped a much welcome oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and gave his hand a final squeeze before moving off to help Lonnie. Her continued litany of what they were doing, voice never wavering from its comforting tone, was mesmerizing to the patient and Rodney seemed to accept that they were doing the best they could not to cause him further pain.
John watched in awe as she and Lonnie worked quickly, no wasted motion as they cut away his shoes, socks and pants, relayed information to Carson and began the task of prepping Rodney for travel. They slipped a backboard under him, put his leg in some sort of temporary traction device and all of a sudden he was ready for transport. Rodney had remained surprisingly still throughout, the only indication of his discomfort was an occasional moan and a white knuckled fist.
As the two medics finished, Carson and John both stepped forward and the four of them carefully lifted and moved Rodney into the jumper. Fran held Rodney’s hand and continued her soft, lulling words that only the scientist was privileged to. John had to admit that Carson was right, the two medics were very good. Most of the time Carson wasn’t afforded the opportunity to hand off care to someone else when time was an issue. This time he’d stepped aside, knowing the two medics could handle Rodney much more quickly and efficiently. It was just another reason why Carson was Chief Medical Officer. He knew when to delegate tasks to others more qualified then himself.
Carson okayed more pain medication once they determined the extent of Rodney’s injuries and weren’t afraid of his blood pressure plummeting or his breathing diminishing further. The ride back to Atlantis was quiet, three of them closely monitoring Rodney’s vitals while the fourth looked on in silence, hands shaking with the need to comfort but restricted by more than just time or place. The last several hours settled on John and he felt a helplessness and ache that he hadn’t thought possible.
Part Five