Dr. D's Journal

LFWS #4

dr_dredd — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:32:31 GMT

Ack! I promise I'll get around to posting the LFWS stories in my journal. In the meantime, a new round is about to start. Ladies and gentlemen, sharpen your writing implements! :-)

sga_lfws presents:

lfws#4
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FIC: Cooling Down (LFWS #3 ROUND 1 entry)

dr_dredd — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:54:09 GMT

Once again, I'm behind on my posting, but here's my entry for the first round of this LFWS. The prompt was:

Theme: Script Tag Challenge
Word count: 400
Characters: Team plus any
Description: Write an episode tag or missing scene using script format. The team is a must, but you can include other characters, OC or not. (You can read Gateworld transcripts to have an idea about script format, or you can use Google to be more specific.) H/C is not a must.

(ANCIENT LAB. Rodney, Carson, and Aiden are taking a last look around the room. Carson has removed the helmet of his Hazmat suit and looks incredibly relieved.)

CARSON: All right, I want the two of you to head to the infirmary to get checked out.

RODNEY: We’re not dead. What more do you need to know?

CARSON (exasperated): There’s always the possibility of aftereffects. The nanomachines may be dormant, but they’re still floating in your blood. They could clog arteries, cause mini-strokes…

(Rodney and Aiden look horrified.)

CARSON: … possibly cause blindness if they get stuck in the retina. And there’s a very small chance that they could cause impotence. (He grins evilly.)

AIDEN: Infirmary. Right. (He and Rodney hurry out.)

CARSON: Thought that would get them.

(Jump to INFIRMARY. In the background, Teyla is lying in an Ancient scanner, and Aiden is waiting his turn. In front of us, John is sitting on an exam bed while Carson listens to his heart with a stethoscope. Rodney is leaning against a wall, arms crossed.)

JOHN: I’m pretty sure everything’s in one piece.

CARSON (winces as John’s voice blasts through the stethoscope earpieces, then removes them from his ears): Aye, so it would seem. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, though. And we’ll want to check blood counts frequently for a few days.

JOHN: Why?

CARSON: You did just get nuked, lad. Probably not enough radiation to worry about, but it’s best to make sure. Pity you didn’t wear a dosimeter.

RODNEY: He had other things on his mind! Mainly, preventing everyone’s brains from exploding!

CARSON (crossly): I hadn’t forgotten, Rodney. (He suddenly looks haunted.) I thought it was going to happen to you, and there was nothing I could do.

RODNEY: Well, it didn’t, thanks to the gene therapy.

JOHN: Yeah. You did good, Doc.

CARSON: It was just luck that the ATA gene blocked the virus.

JOHN: Don’t knock it. It’s nice to have luck on our side for a change.

RODNEY: Well, instead of bellyaching, we could go analyze some of the inactivated virus samples. You sure took enough blood for it. (Heads toward the door.) You coming?

CARSON (under his breath): I don’t know why I put up with you. (Follows Rodney out.)

(John stands up and walks over to the scanner. Teyla has finished, and Aiden is now in the machine.)

JOHN: How are you feeling?

TEYLA: Fine. Apparently our bodies are absorbing the dead nanomachines. (Pauses.) You know that you owe Elizabeth at least an explanation, if not an apology.

JOHN: I know. (Sighs.) I might as well get it over with now. I’ll head over to her office.

More LFWS!

dr_dredd — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:53:28 GMT

The Last Fiction Writer Standing challenge is open again! I only made it to the third round last time, so I'm hoping to do better now. :-)

SGA LFWS H/C-GEN MIXED VERSION

Sign ups open for LFWS#3 for writers and artists at sga_lfws!

LFWS stands for Last Fic Writer Standing. If you’re familiar with the LIMS in many icon making comms you know what this is about, but if you’re not this is how it works:

The challenge is composed of rounds. On each round the participants will have to write a story following a general prompt. Participants have a week to write something, so the fics will be short. Usually drabbles or something of the sort. The stories will be submitted to the mods and will be posted anonymously. Then the stories are voted. The voters will select their favorite and least favorite story, and can give reasons for the votes (always with constructive criticism, bashing and voting for yourself are not allowed). After the round of votes, one winner for the round will be announced, and one writer will be eliminated and not continue to the next round. No need to be afraid about not continuing, it is a natural part of the process. This will continue for as many rounds as necessary, until there is only one writer standing, which will be selected the Last Fic Writer Standing.

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Last Fiction Writer Standing (LFWS) Round 3 Story

dr_dredd — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:39:19 GMT

Unfortunately, this one got me "voted off the island" in the third round (back in May), but I just didn't get around to posting it until now. Fortunately, the LFWS will be starting over again soon, so here it is...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: Fragile Strength
Author: dr_dredd
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: None
Prompt for the Round: The story must be related to the prompt word 'surprise'. It must have at least one member of the team and any others that you like.
Word limit: 400

Radek clutched his P-90 and looked around uneasily. “I hate going offworld,” he mumbled to himself.

Once again they had investigated a rumor of Ancient technology only to find a village in ruins. The Wraith had been here very recently. Clothing hanging on lines was still damp, and iceboxes still held a few solid cubes floating in puddles of meltwater. Rodney had found stew simmering in a pot and had proclaimed it warm and edible before Colonel Sheppard smacked him upside the head to make him stop.

Radek peeked into one of the empty cottages. The family who lived there had obviously been surprised during some quiet time together. A child’s toy lying forgotten on the ground and the book on a chair were mute testament to that. It always amazed him that people in Pegasus were able to maintain normal lives in the face of the constant threat of the Wraith. He wasn’t sure he’d be strong enough to do the same.

A sudden noise behind him made him jump. “Do prdele!” Radek swore, glad that no one was around to hear his voice squeak. The sound came again: a tiny whimper of pain. “Hello?” he called.

The whimper became a forlorn cry. It sounded like it was coming from one wall of the house. At first Radek didn’t notice anything, but as he approached he saw a small, furry animal lying under a bush. It opened its eyes and mewed at him.

A kitten!

He bent down to get a closer look. “Ahhh,” he breathed sadly as he saw the long gash in its side. “What happened to you, little one?”

The kitten squeaked again and stared at Radek with soulful eyes. In addition to the gash, it had several broken ribs. Its hind limbs were paralyzed and it seemed to have trouble catching its breath. Radek sighed, sat down, and began stroking it.

“Radek! Where the hell are you?!” Rodney’s voice could be heard long before he came into sight. “Radek…. Oh.” A wistful expression crossed the Canadian’s face as he watched his friend pet the kitten. He covered it up by blustering loudly, “Did you find anything, or have you just been sitting here the whole time?!”

Radek smiled back, not fooled by the act. “I know you miss your cat, Rodney. Would you like to…?” He gestured toward the kitten who, incredibly, had started to purr even in the face of its injuries.

Rodney ranted for another minute, then started to stroke the silky fur.

Last Fiction Writer Standing (LFWS) Round 2 Story

dr_dredd — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:36:07 GMT

Still in the game...

Title: Pie, The Universe, and Everything
Author: dr_dredd
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Original characters belong to the author. No infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: None
Prompt for the Round: Write a fic taking place on Earth having anyone from Earth and also having Ronon and/or Teyla. 300-word limit.

Teyla looked around the SGC commissary and found Ronon eating alone at a table near the door. Holding her tray, she walked over and sat down. She and Ronon had been here for almost a week now, giving reports to the IOA. Teyla was definitely looking forward to returning home. For one thing, the food wouldn’t be nearly as strange.

Teyla took several bites of her salad and chewed thoughtfully. The vegetables had an odd taste and texture, but they were not unpleasant. For dessert, she had promised herself a piece of the pastry that her teammates called “pie.” She couldn’t believe how many types there were! Her favorite was apple, but she also enjoyed blueberry, cherry, and peach.

Across the table, Ronon was devouring a large sandwich and drinking black coffee. On his tray sat not one, but three slices of pie. Teyla looked at him reproachfully. “Should you really be eating all that? Did Dr. Beckett not talk to you about something called cholesterol?”

“Yeah, he did.” Ronon grinned wolfishly. “You’re just mad because I got the last of the pecan.”

Teyla sniffed. “I am not mad because you got the last piece.”

“Well, I sure would be!” General O’Neill seated himself next to Ronon. “Pie is a very serious business, you know.” Teyla stared at him. “Keeps the universe running.”

Ronon smirked. Teyla looked like she wanted to question O’Neill’s sanity. O’Neill just nodded sagely. “I once knew an interesting fellow named Urgo… real pain in the ass, actually. He ranked it on the same level as living and exploring the universe.”

“Sounds like my kind of guy,” said Ronon.

“Actually, you probably would have hated him,” O’Neill admitted. “He was loud and obnoxious. But he did have a childlike joy about life that you couldn’t help admiring. He’s probably out there now with a smile on his face and a piece of pie in his hand.”

Author's Note: In memory of Dom DeLuise (1933-2009)

Last Fiction Writer Standing (LFWS) Round 1 Story

dr_dredd — Wed, 06 May 2009 02:43:10 GMT

Title: Auditions
Author: dr_dredd
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Original characters belong to the author. No infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: None
Prompt for the Round: Write any story, but only using original characters. You may mention others very briefly, but only the OCs can participate of the main plot. 200-word limit.

AUDITIONS by dr_dredd

Dr. Jana Lindstrom stared at the envelope that contained her future. In it would be either a polite dismissal or instructions to join the Atlantis expedition. The xenopsychologist desperately wanted to go to Pegasus, and her work at Area 51 made her the best candidate for the job.

Yet she was afraid to open the damned envelope.

At first, things had gone well during her interview at the SGC. She gave a presentation that Colonel Carter had praised. She’d also met with Kate Heightmeyer and Carson Beckett, her hopefully-future bosses. (Dr. Beckett in particular expressed enthusiasm at her ideas; always a good sign.)

Then it happened. Carter was escorting her out when they met Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard. McKay and Carter had argued about something, and when Carter tried to introduce her, McKay had rolled his eyes and muttered something about “another dumb blonde.” Furious, she spoke without thinking.

“I’m blonde,” she’d said. “What’s your excuse?”

There was dead silence, then Carter’s lips twitched. Sheppard had grinned broadly and said, “I like her already.” But later, Jana was certain she’d lost any chance at Atlantis.

She sighed. No sense in putting it off any further. She whooped when she saw the envelope’s contents, though, especially the note from Carter.

“Congratulations to the only person who’s ever rendered McKay speechless.”

Writing

dr_dredd — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:02:33 GMT

So, after almost a year of lying on the couch drinking beer, the muse awoke and started nudging me to write again. I'm doing it by joining the "Last Fiction Writer Standing" competition.

SGA LFWS GEN VERSION

LFWS stands for Last Fic Writer Standing. If you’re familiar with the LIMS in many icon making comms you know what this is about, but if you’re not this is how it works:

The challenge is composed of rounds. On each round the participants will have to write a story following a general prompt. Participants have a week to write something, so the fics will be short. Usually drabbles or something of the sort. The stories will be submitted to the mods and will be posted anonymously. Then the stories are voted. The voters will select their favorite and least favorite story, and can give reasons for the votes (always with constructive criticism, bashing and voting for yourself are not allowed). After the round of votes, one winner for the round will be announced, and one writer will be eliminated and not continue to the next round. No need to be afraid about not continuing, it is a natural part of the process. This will continue for as many rounds as necessary, until there is only one writer standing, which will be selected the Last Fic Writer Standing.

Profile
Rules
Sign ups
Pimp this

(Sign-ups are closed now, but I'm still shamelessly pimping this for the next round!)

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

dr_dredd — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:34:26 GMT

NOT!!!!

You Would Make a Horrible 1930's Wife

You are way too non conformist, independent, and sassy to be an ideal retro wife.

You may be so wild that you aren't even considering marriage!

Good thing we don't live in the 1930s anymore!

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

Are You an Alpha Female?

dr_dredd — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:37:57 GMT

I am woman, hear me roar?

You Have Many Alpha Tendencies

You're not a total alpha female, but you certainly know how to - and like to - get your way.

You're forceful without being intimidating. You're confident without being vain. A perfect mix.

Are You an Alpha Female?

How Democrat Are You?

dr_dredd — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:37:07 GMT

And just to give the other side a chance:

You Are 76% Democrat

You have a good deal of donkey running through your blood, and you're proud to be liberal.
You don't fit every Democrat stereotype, but you definitely belong in the Democrat party.

How Democrat Are You?

How Republican Are You?

dr_dredd — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:33:25 GMT

You Are 8% Republican

If you have anything in common with the Republican party, it's by sheer chance.
You're a staunch liberal, and nothing is going to change that!

How Republican Are You?

Followed from kensieg's journal...

What Kind of Superhero Would You Be?

dr_dredd — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:44:04 GMT

You Would Be a Upstanding Superhero

You are alert and observant. You can see through people easily. You know who's evil and who's good.

You need a lot of freedom in your life. You like to do your own thing, and you don't fit into any normal mold.

You understand people quite well and often know what others are thinking. Because of this, you can get people to do what you want.

You are a shapeshifter who fits in with almost any group. You can get along with anyone. You're quite flexible.

You are a true philosopher. You are thirsty for wisdom. You are trying to figure out the meaning of life.

What Kind of Superhero Would You Be?

Pretty cool -- haven't done one of these in a while.

FIC: Shouldn't Come As A Surprise (PG)

dr_dredd — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:18:20 GMT

Title: Shouldn’t Come As A Surprise
Author: dr_dredd
Pairing: None
Genre: Gen, friendship, a little angst
Characters: Rodney, Keller, and Carson (sort of)
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~800
Spoilers: Anything up to The Seed
Summary: How did Jennifer know that Rodney visits Carson in stasis?

A/N: Just a little fic. I love the image of Rodney sneaking off to talk to Carson.

"You know, Rodney goes to visit him.... He surprises me sometimes." - Jennifer Keller, "The Seed"

The overhead lights automatically came on as Rodney entered the stasis room. He walked over to the chamber and, without looking at the occupant, started checking the readouts. First and most important was the power supply. The indicator light glowed bright green. He wasn’t surprised, since it was tied into the ZPM. Barring any unforeseen accidents or disasters, the chamber could maintain power indefinitely... or, at the very least, 48,000 years.

Next were the readouts representing the occupant’s vital signs. Rodney grumbled under his breath. They looked okay to him, but who was he to say? He wasn’t a medical doctor. “Voodoo and shamanism,” he muttered, swiping angrily at his eyes. Damned dust speck. Yes, that must be it.

The last set of readouts was the most difficult for Rodney to look at. Elapsed time for the occupant. Every minute that ticked by was an agonizing reminder of how long their friend had already spent suffering at the hands of Michael, waiting for a rescue that would never come. Every minute was an accusation that they hadn’t done enough to help him. Fortunately, the elapsed time was still quite brief. Although several weeks had passed on the outside, the slowed time in stasis meant that the occupant was only about an hour older.

They could still fix this. They had to.

Rodney finally took a deep breath and raised his eyes from the instrument panel. “Hi, Carson,” he said softly, forcing himself to look the physician in the eyes. They were the same brilliant blue they’d always been, but they were unnaturally still now. “I... um... I’m sorry I haven’t been down to see you in a few days. You know how it is. Missions, paperwork, trying to keep the morons from blowing up the city.” He snorted. “Yes, yes, I know I’m not supposed to call the science staff morons. Force of habit.”

Rodney tapped his chin. “Let’s see, what else can I tell you... Oh, yes. Teyla’s baby is doing fine. I told you that she named him partly after John, right? Hmmph. After all I did delivering him, too. I wish you could see the little guy. Teyla was...pretty damn shocked when we told her about you. I know she’s really missed you.” Rodney blushed a little as his voice trailed off.

“Keller’s doing everything she can to find a cure for you. She thinks it may be in the information we found in Michael’s database... well, I found it, really,” Rodney said smugly. “Anyway, she’s been a good Chief Medical Officer. I wasn’t sure at first, but she turned out okay. She’s not as good as you, though, so quit slacking off and get back to work, will you?” Rodney sighed unhappily. “Carson, I’m sorry I didn’t go fishing with you.... well, the other ‘you.’ Oh, hell. Cloning really screws with the pronouns.”

The physicist was silent for a minute, then forced a note of cheerfulness into his voice. “The grapevine is alive and well. Sheppard supposedly had some sort of romantic dream about Teyla when he was buried in the rubble of Michael’s lab. That got the Sheyla rumors going, let me tell you.... Radek’s switched from lusting after Elizabeth to lusting after Sam... And last but not least, I think Jennifer’s got a crush on...”

“What are you doing, Rodney?” said Keller’s voice from behind him.

Later, Rodney told himself that he absolutely did not jump and squeak like a mouse. Really. Instead, he turned around in a dignified fashion and looked at the source of the voice.

Okay, he actually whirled around and glared at her, but that was no reason to quibble.

“What am I doing? I’m checking the stasis pod! You know, the delicate piece of medical equipment that’s the only thing keeping Carson alive?!”

Jennifer gave him a look of fond exasperation. “Rodney, nothing’s going to happen without us knowing about it. Do you know many failsafes the Ancients built into this system?”

“Hello, Ancient technology expert here!” he snapped. “Of course I know. But it never hurts to double check. One of your medical minions should be doing the same thing, and by the way what are you doing down here?”

Jennifer looked at the physicist for a long moment. “It’s okay to miss him, Rodney,” she said gently.

He flushed. “It’s not a question of missing him. It’s just...” his voice trailed off.

“What?”

He closed his mouth with a snap. “Nothing,” he said firmly, then turned on his heel and walked out the door.

Well, that could have gone better. Truth was, Jennifer hadn’t been expecting to meet anyone down here, either. She’d been taken by surprise, too.

She sighed, then smiled ruefully. “Hi, Carson,” she said. “I’m sorry I haven’t been down to see you in a few days...”

FIN

FIC: Kate Heightmeyer's Five Most Difficult Patients (PG)

dr_dredd — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:12:21 GMT

After a long hiatus, here's my foray back into fandom (hopefully)...

Title: Kate Heightmeyer's Five Most Difficult Patients
Author: Dr. Dredd
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,434
Season: Early Season 2
Spoilers: None
Summary: The five people Kate finds most difficult to treat. Written for the "Five Things" challenge at sga_flashfic

1.) Rodney McKay. She could probably spend her entire career trying to figure out Rodney McKay. Even the great Sigmund Freud would have had trouble. Given enough time, he would no doubt have strode out of a session, muttering angrily into his beard. Rodney had that effect on a lot of people.

The scientists who worked with him were either terrified of him or harbored homicidal impulses. Maybe both. Rodney McKay was a very harsh taskmaster, often throwing out comments like “moron,” “idiot,” and even, on one memorable occasion, “Fumbles McStupid.” (Kate had wished she knew how to speak Czech after that one. She had no idea what Radek was saying, but it sounded positively evil.) But Rodney drove himself as least as hard as his subordinates, if not harder. And on the few occasions when he praised his staff, the grins lasted for hours afterward.

Rodney didn’t trust people or make friends easily. When he did, though, he was staunch and loyal. John Sheppard and Carson Beckett were two of the people who had managed to get past Rodney’s defenses. They watched over him when he was closeted in the labs, and they nagged, bullied, and cajoled him into spending some time away from his work. The snark that flew between the three men was truly impressive in its creativity and insult potential.

One of Rodney’s main faults was that he took the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt responsible for every detail, every mistake, and every disaster that happened in the city. When a crisis arose, he would panic very vocally and then proceed to address it. So far, he’d succeeded every time, but what would happen when he inevitably came to a problem he couldn’t solve? The problem with flying high like Superman was that it was a long way to fall.

2.) Elizabeth Weir. Elizabeth was always walking a fine line. As leader of the expedition, she needed to be detached enough to make life-and-death decisions, yet approachable enough to make people feel comfortable trusting her judgment. Nobody had expected to find a race of life-sucking alien vampires at the other end of the one-way trip, so everyone in the city was understandably under chronic stress punctuated by occasional moments of sheer terror. They unconsciously looked to Elizabeth for guidance, and she needed to maintain an image of self-assurance and competence.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn’t think such an image was compatible with visits to the resident psychologist. Kate had tried to convince her otherwise, pointing out that she’d be setting a good example for those who might be afraid to seek help, but wasn’t successful. Elizabeth, like John Sheppard, was very stubborn once she made up her mind about certain things. She considered Kate a friend, but would not seek psychological help unless absolutely necessary.

Well, Kate could be equally stubborn in her own way. She made sure to sit with Elizabeth in the mess hall once every few weeks. She didn’t pry, but made it clear through verbal and nonverbal cues that she was happy to provide a sympathetic ear if Elizabeth needed to vent. Kate also began teaching a yoga class for stress relief and coaxed the expedition leader into participating. Over time, Elizabeth eventually became more relaxed and open to bouncing ideas off the psychologist. Sometimes she would even talk about personal concerns.

If the mountain wouldn’t come to Mohammed...

3.) Teyla Emmagan. Kate had never treated a telepath before. (She also never ceased to be amazed that she worked in a place where she could make a statement like that and no one would even bat an eye.) Teyla was understandably nervous about her newfound ability, and Kate had no idea how to counsel her. How could you teach someone to use a sense you barely had words to describe? And how could you reassure her that there was no way the big scary monsters could take possession of her mind when you weren’t even sure about that yourself?

Kate had decided to tackle the problem head on. She told Teyla, “I wish I knew how to best help you, but my training doesn’t even begin to cover this. Your situation would be... well, pretty damn inconceivable back on Earth.” That was a massive understatement. Back home, someone claiming to do what Teyla could do would be considered eccentric at best, and psychotic at worst. “So let’s try to learn together. I can definitely teach you basic relaxation and mindfulness techniques that will allow you to maintain a constant awareness of your mind and body. That way, you’ll be able to realize quickly if you’re experiencing thoughts and feelings not your own.”

What to do if that happened was another story. Have someone follow Teyla around all the time with a stunner? Issue her a self-injector of sedative? Throw her out of the city? Kate didn’t know, and nobody else had any good ideas, either. Eventually they settled into a posture of watchful waiting. So far, so good.

4.) Sergeant Bates. Of all the military personnel, Kate would have expected John Sheppard to be the most difficult to deal with. It turned out, though, that he really wasn’t that bad. Although he had a hard time articulating his emotions (she’d diagnosed mild alexithymia), they shone through in his actions. She could work with that.

But Bates! She remembered when they’d first met at the SGC. He hadn’t even wanted her to know his first name. In Atlantis, it had taken three post-mission sessions before she could get him to stop saying “ma’am” after every sentence and several more before he relaxed enough to stop scanning her office for threats every time he walked in. She had found him very intimidating; the feeling was probably mutual.

Kate finally made a breakthrough after the nanovirus incident. He’d been genuinely upset at being placed in the middle of the power struggle between Sheppard and Weir. Kate had used that as an opportunity to push Bates a little, to make him understand his own motivations when it came to chain of command issues or dealing with Teyla and the Athosians. She tried to make him angry enough to let something slip through his tight veneer of control, and it had worked. She didn’t remember exactly what she had said -- it had been some Freudian nonsense about going back to childhood -- but he snapped at her. “You don’t honestly believe that crap you’re spouting, do you?” had been his exact words. From then on, she had been able to work with him to help him channel his innate protectiveness and suspicious nature into positive avenues. After a while, she almost forgot how intimidated she was at first.

And that’s when she realized she was attracted to him.

That definitely made things complicated. Professional ethics dictated that a therapist was not supposed to become romantically involved with a patient, but in a very real sense, everyone in the city was a potential patient. Kate had had no intention of taking a vow of celibacy when she agreed to join the Atlantis expedition, so after a good deal of soul searching she had decided that professional ethics needed to be retailored to suit an isolated city in another galaxy.

She and Bates had started seeing each other, and their relationship had briefly reached the physical stage when he was savagely beaten by a Wraith. He had been sent back to Earth with the other wounded, but Kate refused to give up hope that he would eventually recover and return to Atlantis.

Denial really wasn’t just a river in Egypt, was it...

5.) Kate Heightmeyer. The problem with being the only psychologist on the base was that there was no one to turn to if she needed someone to talk with. Furthermore, most people were either consciously or unconsciously nervous in her presence, so they weren’t likely to look closely enough to notice if she seemed upset or anxious. Usually she was okay with that, but sometimes it made her want to weep.

She always went to Carson Beckett when that happened. Obviously he wasn’t a psychiatrist, but he’d had some training as a medical student. More importantly, though, he was just an incredibly nice person who wanted everyone around him to be happy and healthy. Carson could always be counted on to provide a shoulder to cry on, a warm woolen blanket, and sometimes even homemade shortbread. His office was a refuge.

Sometimes a lilting Scottish brogue was more therapeutic than any pill.

FIC: Vampire With a Soul

dr_dredd — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:24:49 GMT

Title: Vampire With a Soul
Author: Dr. Dredd
Genre: Beckett/Cadman, humor, complete nonsense
Characters John Sheppard, Carson Beckett
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine. Bloody heck.
Words: 1289
Summary: John really shouldn’t have made the vampire comment about Carson. Sequel to Cadman the Vampire Slayer

John looked both ways before quietly slipping into the corridor that led toward the infirmary. He had to time this just right; otherwise he was in deep trouble. Getting drained of blood was not high on his list of favorite things to do, but that was his likely fate if he were caught.

Damn Cadman for a tattletale, anyway!

This was all her fault. John would have been perfectly happy never to know that she was the Slayer. Heck, even now it sounded crazy, like something out of a myth. (He groaned to himself as he remembered Cadman’s response to that sentiment. “You’re myth-taken!” she’d chirped happily.) Even worse was the fact that there was a television show with the same premise, the purpose of which was supposedly to create plausible deniability. Unfortunately for him, though, John had used his knowledge of that show to tease Cadman about her relationship with Beckett. She, in turn, had gotten him back by reporting his “vampire with a soul” comment to the good doctor.

Hey, wasn’t that insubordination? Hmm... he’d have to think about that.

Now John was due for his monthly check-up. Carson’s grin had been positively evil when he reminded John of that, so the pilot had tried to figure out a way to have one of the other doctors perform the physical instead. Eventually he’d resorted to bribery; he gave some excellent chocolate to one of the nurses in exchange for information about Carson’s scheduled days off. According to his source, the Chief Medical Officer should be fishing off the East pier right about now and Jennifer Keller should be running the show. If everything went smoothly, John would be able to slip in, have Keller do his exam, and slip out again without anyone the wiser. Hopefully he’d have some blood left, too.

In retrospect, John was surprised he made it as far as he did before getting busted. He had one foot in the infirmary doorway when a firm hand fell on his shoulder. “Why, Colonel Sheppard!” said a much-too-cheerful-sounding brogue. “How are you doing this fine morning?”

Crap. Crappity crap, crap.

“Carson.” John eyed the physician warily. “I’m good, thanks. What about you? I thought for sure you’d be...” His voice trailed off as he realized that knowing Carson’s schedule would look very suspicious.

From the gleam in his eye, John knew that the physician was perfectly aware of what he’d been about to say, but Carson chose to ignore the slip. “Ach, you know how it is. Sometimes you just can’t take your mind off work. So, since the fish weren’t biting, I decided to come back and make myself useful.”

Double crap.

“Now, I’m assuming you’re here for your physical.” Carson continued. “I must say I’m surprised, lad. Usually we almost have to drag you in.”

John thought quickly. “Well, I didn’t want to burden anyone, so I figured I’d come in when the infirmary was quiet. You’d never go fishing if the infirmary was full, so I thought this would be a good time.” He surreptitiously inched away from the Scot. “But since you’re here at work now, I won’t disturb you. I can always come back later and see if Keller has time for me.”

Carson steered John through the doorway. “It’s not a burden at all. He grinned. “I’m always glad to help out a friend. We’ll just get you checked out, do your bloodwork, and then it’ll be time for lunch.”

The colonel gulped. Beckett’s dimples were showing, which was never a good sign. And after the vampire remark, it was also a bad thing if he was using the words “bloodwork” and “lunch” in the same sentence. But since John couldn’t see any way out of his predicament, he walked over to an exam cubicle without any further resistance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Carson smiled to himself as John started undressing behind the privacy curtain. It was fun to watch the colonel squirming and looking like a deer in the headlights. Oh, he knew he’d have to stop soon, but in the meantime he could enjoy his little bit of payback. The ranking military officer, a man known for his determination and courage under fire, was really a big baby when it came to all things medical. He might not be as vocal about it as some others the physician could name, but John Sheppard definitely did not like to be poked and prodded.

There were times Carson had been tempted to stock the infirmary with lollipops to reward children of all ages for good behavior.

He waited for another minute, then picked up John’s chart and ducked behind the curtain. “All right, then. Looks like it’s been a pretty good month for you. You’ve only had.... let’s see... two unscheduled visits to the infirmary, and neither of them required more than an overnight stay. No major traumas or broken bones, no surgeries or blood transfusions, and no encounters with Pegasus galaxy arthropods.”

“Hey! You promised never to mention the bugs again!”

“So I did. My apologies. Now, any problems I should know about?”

“Aside from the obvious?” John muttered.

“I’m not sure what you mean, John,” Carson said innocently. He hummed to himself as he continued to peruse the chart. “Ah. Last month you were a touch on the anemic side. We’ll have to check that again. Are you taking the vitamin pills I gave you?”

John looked uncomfortable. “Uh, can I plead the Fifth Amendment?”

“Scotland doesn’t have a Fifth Amendment, son. I’m afraid you’re out of luck. And I take it that means no.”

“They’re gigantic horse pills, Carson!”

The physician gave a put-upon sigh. “Colonel Sheppard, I swear you’re going to turn my hair prematurely gray. Well, we’ll see what your blood counts look like without them.” He first proceeded to conduct a thorough physical examination, noting with satisfaction that Ellia’s feeding scar was almost completely gone. Then he started picking up blood collection tubes, noting that John looked more and more nervous as the number of tubes increased.

“How many of those are you going to take?” John asked uneasily, no doubt thinking about Dracula.

“Oh, just enough.” Carson wound a tourniquet around John’s left arm and deftly punctured a vein. He drew one purple-topped and two red-topped tubes, then removed the needle, putting the rest of the tubes down on a lab table. “Hold that there,” Carson said as he put a piece of gauze over the puncture site.

“That’s it?” John asked incredulously.

“That’s it. You can go now,” Carson said as he gathered up his equipment and samples.

“Sooo... only those three tubes.” John looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“That’s right.”

“And no horrifically invasive medical procedures?”

“Nope.”

John snorted. “I thought you were gonna get revenge for the vampire comment. You mean I got worked up over nothing?”

Carson smiled sweetly. “I would never do anything that wasn’t medically necessary, Colonel. It wouldn’t be ethical, even if you were being an ass.”

John winced a little at that. “Well, for a while there, you really had me going,” he said ruefully. “Anyway, you mentioned lunch. Are you heading to the mess hall?”

Carson waved a hand. “In a little while. I want to get these taken care of first.”

John nodded and left the infirmary. The physician could hear him muttering under his breath. “... totally messing with my head.”

Carson grinned broadly. That was the idea. Although he would never do anything painful or potentially harmful as payback, he wasn’t above a little psychological warfare. And if John were to retaliate, well, he was sure that both he and his Slayer girlfriend would be able to handle it.

FIN

A/N: The inspiration for this was from an old M*A*S*H* episode. Hawkeye was expecting revenge from Trapper for something stupid he’d done, and he spent the entire episode making himself crazy with paranoia. Turned out that making Hawkeye crazy with paranoia was the revenge...

dr_dredd — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:39:56 GMT

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

I don't even know what Magic: The Gathering is! I thought this looked cool, though. :-)

FIC: Sorry, Big Man

dr_dredd — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:11:15 GMT

Title: Sorry, Big Man
Author: dr_dredd
Genre: Gen. Angst, h/c
Rating: PG-13 (one teeny little swear word)
Word Count: 1,500
Summary: Ronon ponders the meaning of loss. Spoilers for Kindred II.
Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. Thank you.

A/N: So, I finally caved. I haven't seen any of Season 4 yet, but I just had to watch Kindred II. Here's my take on things...

“This is exactly what I was afraid of.” Ronon looked at the figure standing in front of him, the miraculous resurrection of a friend thought lost. Now he was about to lose Carson Beckett again. He swallowed thickly. This was why a warrior should never get too close to anyone.

Carson looked back, his blue eyes filled with both sadness and compassion. “I know, big man. I’m sorry.”

Ronon wanted to howl and beat his fists against something. How could Beckett be dying? Right now he barely even looked sick! And on top of everything else, he was apologizing for causing pain even as he was about to enter a long sleep from which he might never wake. It was too much.

Not knowing what else to do, Ronon stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Carson in a bear hug. Ronon could feel the doctor trembling from the effort to remain on his feet, and realized that he must be feeling much worse than he let show. He drew back and turned away, unable to watch as Carson entered the stasis chamber.

Behind him, McKay was rambling on about dreams and massage therapists. Ronon composed himself and turned to face the chamber again. Carson looked at all of them one more time and set his shoulders. “See you all later.”

After a brief pause, McKay sighed and pushed a few buttons on the pad he was holding. There was a flash of light as the stasis field enveloped their dying friend.

No one moved at first; they just stood there staring at the frozen figure. Then, abruptly, Ronon turned on his heel and left. If he didn’t keep moving, he was going to go crazy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jennifer Keller watched as Ronon strode out of the room. Just as Carson had taken the loss of every patient to heart, Ronon also suffered deeply when a comrade died. And she knew he had a great deal of respect and fondness for the former Chief Medical Officer. Watching him die once had been horrible. Twice? She couldn’t even imagine how he must be feeling right now.

Jennifer started to go after Ronon but was stopped by John Sheppard’s hand on her shoulder. “Let him be, Doc. I don’t think he wants company right now. If he’s gone too long, one of us will go looking for him.”

Part of her wanted to protest. I care about him, too! But she said nothing and simply stared in the direction he’d gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ronon sat slumped against an outside wall of the city, legs stretched out on the balcony in front of him. After leaving the room with the stasis chamber, he’d run as far as he could before a cramping pain in his side forced him to stop. He wasn’t even sure where in the city he was, although he thought it was somewhere by the east pier. He knew someone (probably Sheppard) would follow him out here, but he should have a little time to himself before that happened. Time to feel the wind on his face, stare out into the night, and think about his friend.

Have you looked outside, big man?

Ronon laughed softly to himself. Carson had uttered those words on Taranis, trying to convince a stubborn villager to evacuate from the impending volcanic eruption. Said to an outsider, “big man” had sounded sarcastic; this time it had been affectionate. Carson had frequently grumbled about “tough, big men who didn’t have sense enough to rest when they were hurt,” and scolded him in particular for refusing painkillers when the physician thought he needed them. Didn’t we have this discussion already? It’s not like you need to be holding a gun on me anymore, right?

Ouch. The Doc had never let him live that one down. But he himself had fun reminding Carson that the physician had aimed a jumper drone at him on Sateda, and he pretended to ignore the sputtering about “aiming at the bloody Wraith, thank you very much.”

Sateda. Ronon’s laughter trailed off as he realized that this version of Carson would not have those memories. Carson’s capture by Michael on M8G-352 predated the team’s return to his home planet, so the clone Beckett couldn’t know what had happened. All of a sudden, the wave of grief that Ronon had been trying to hold back crashed down on him. He clenched his fists with the effort not to cry out.

Even if this Beckett did manage to come out of stasis, he still wouldn’t be the Beckett everyone remembered. The six months between M8G-352 and the original Carson’s death were no longer shared experiences. Add to that the fact that this Carson had been the prisoner of the sadistic Michael for two years, and it was obvious that they would have to get to know the good doctor all over again when he was revived.

Footsteps interrupted Ronon’s brooding. They approached, then stopped short of the balcony. “Sheppard?” he rumbled.

“Yeah.” A Sheppard-shaped patch of stars was briefly eclipsed, then John sat down next to Ronon. “You okay, buddy?” he asked after a minute.

Ronon laughed humorlessly. “I suppose so,” he said, “considering everything that’s happened.”

“I know what you mean.” John sighed. “We lost Carson last year, we lost Teyla this year, we both gained and lost Carson again in less than a week...”

“We’ll get her back!” Ronon snapped, a little more forcefully than he intended.

John looked at him shrewdly. “Just her?”

He sighed. “Even if Keller is able to stop whatever’s killing Carson, is it really him? I mean, I know it’s him, but... If a man is the sum of his memories, then the person we just put in stasis isn’t really Carson Beckett.”

The corner of John’s mouth lifted slightly in a smirk. “Don’t let Rodney hear you being philosophical like that. He’ll start insulting your intelligence again.” The smirk faded. “You heard the last thing Beckett said to me, right?”

“Yeah. He practically ordered you to bring Teyla home.”

“And you don’t think that’s the real Carson Beckett? He told me once that she reminds him of his younger sister. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.” John shook his head. “No, that’s our Carson. After all, the person that died and the person currently in our stasis chamber shared all but two years’ worth of memories.”

“So?”

“Hell, I’m probably not explaining myself very well. I guess, when it comes down to it, that it’s more than just memories that make someone who he is. In every way that matters, the man we put in stasis is Carson. And we’ll get him back, too.”

They sat in silence for a while, until John gave a faint snort. “I wouldn’t even be here if he hadn’t almost blasted me out of the sky.”

Ronon grinned. “I wish I could have seen that.”

“He always hated using his gene,” said John. “I think you and Zelenka were the ones he most wanted the gene therapy to work on. The team would have more technology-using capability if you had the gene, and he thought that McKay might finally leave him alone if he had an ATA-positive Zelenka to boss around!”

“Now that’s a frightening idea.” Ronon thought for a minute. “He really gave me hell after Olesia.”

It was John’s turn to chuckle. “I remember that. I can’t imagine why he was so upset about a little thing like yanking a barbed arrow out of your leg.”

Ronon shrugged. “Used to do it all the time when I was running.”

They continued trading Carson stories. “And then, of course, there was the kiss. That I’m sure he remembers! I think I’m scarred for life,” said John.

Ronon gave a mock shudder. “So is everyone else.” He hesitated for a long moment, then asked, “Are we going to tell Lieutenant Cadman that he’s back?”

“Shit,” John said. He hadn’t really thought about all the implications of the physician’s “resurrection.” It was one thing not to tell the man’s mother because she didn’t have security clearance. (And how ridiculous was that?) There was no excuse to not tell his former girlfriend, a member of the Stargate program. They’d stayed friends after the breakup, and Laura had been devastated when she’d learned of the explosion.

“Yeah,” Ronon agreed. “That’s pretty much what I thought.”

“This Carson didn’t break up with her. I think we probably owe it to both of them to tell her, but not until he’s out of stasis.”

Ronon firmly squelched the part of his mind that said “if.”

Neither of them said anything for a long time after that. Finally John stood up and stretched. “Come on, ‘big man,’ let’s go back. Keller was getting worried. I swear, she’s almost as much of a mother hen as Beckett was... is.”

Ronon smiled at John’s use of the present tense. The man was an irrepressible optimist, but who was he to argue?

FIN

Question for everyone

dr_dredd — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:32:19 GMT

I'm planning a trip to Scotland this summer. (Edinburgh for the Festival and then traveling around the Highlands.) One of the places I plan to visit is the Isle of Skye. Does anyone know any good places to stay?

Snagged from leesa_perrie

dr_dredd — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:13:52 GMT

65% Geek

I might as well surrender to the inevitable.

And, for the record, HAN SHOT FIRST!!!! :-)

Some random quizzes

dr_dredd — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:58:32 GMT

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I figured I'd start again with some of these

You will take over Switzerland using only pseudo-pretentious banter

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

</td>
</table>

Ahh, pseudo-prententious banter. I'm quite good at that. :-)

'What Movie do You belong in?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Oh, yeah. Definitely the rebel.... NOT!

FIC: Tidings of Comfort and Joy (PG-13)

dr_dredd — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:24:36 GMT

Title: Tidings of Comfort and Joy
Author: dr_dredd
Genre: Gen. A little bit of angst, a little bit of humor, and a lot of friendship and team-y goodness.
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~4500
Spoilers: None

Summary: An accident forces Elizabeth to return to Earth permanently. Alone and depressed during the holidays, she receives some surprise visitors. AU, takes place in what would be early Season 3.

A/N: Secret Santa Assignment, written for ceitie. New version of what was posted on sga_santa (extra scenes added)!

Elizabeth Weir sat half-dressed on the couch in her living room, aimlessly flicking through TV channels. She knew she should be doing something other than watching daytime soaps, but she didn’t have the energy to get herself going. Why bother? It wasn’t like she had a city to run anymore. A Wraith wasn’t going to burst out of her closet and suck her dry. What happened in the Pegasus galaxy was no longer her concern. The accident had taken care of that.

It had been such a stupid thing. She’d been going to one of the more distant areas of the city in order to explore a room with Ancient writing all over the ceiling. None of the anthropologists had any clue what the room had been used for, so they’d asked for her assistance. On the way there she’d stepped on an area of floor that had given way underneath her, and she’d fallen about twenty feet into a storage bin of some sort. Her radio had been damaged, so all she could do was lie there until she passed out.

She woke up days later to find Carson watching her with pity and compassion in his eyes. He’d gently explained that she had lacerated her spleen when she fell. By the time the medical team got to her, the internal bleeding was so severe that they had to remove it. The physician had explained that she was now very susceptible to infection, and the SGC had decided to recall her to Earth “for her own safety.”

Elizabeth had been stunned. “But this happens to many people, and I’ve never heard of anyone making drastic lifestyle changes!”

“Aye, that’s true,” Carson had said. “on Earth.” Then he’d sighed and looked down at his feet. “Truth be told, I don’t agree with this, and I told Dr. Lam so in no uncertain terms. But I was overruled. I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”

And so she’d found herself walking through the gate as soon as she was well enough to walk. There was no doubt in her mind that this was political. Someone at the IOA had seized on her injury and used it as an excuse to revoke her authority and put someone more tractable in her place. General Landry had offered her a position at the SGC, but she couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the gate every day and knowing that Atlantis was just on the other side. Tantalizingly close, yet forever out of her reach.

The phone rang, and Elizabeth put her head in her hands. People had been calling her for days, but she didn’t want to talk to anyone. Jack O’Neill had called a few times, Landry had called, and even Daniel Jackson had called. Hearing Daniel was almost enough to make her pick up the phone, but in the end she couldn’t do it.

The phone stopped ringing and the answering machine clicked on. Who was it this time?

“Elizabeth, please pick up the phone.” O’Neill’s voice. “You’ve gotta come help me. Daniel’s practically mind-melding with one of his new artifacts. He stays in his lab for hours and I can barely drag him out. He’ll listen to you, though.”

It was a boldfaced lie, but she couldn’t help smiling a little anyway.

O’Neill continued. “Seriously, Elizabeth. We’re really starting to get worried about you. It’s not like you to avoid everyone like this.” He paused for a few seconds, then sighed. “This is your last chance. If you don’t answer, I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.... All right, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The answering machine clicked off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That had been a week ago, but nothing had happened since. Elizabeth had to admit she was intrigued, and she found herself actually getting dressed and cooking herself a real breakfast when she got up in the mornings. She was just starting to tackle the job of cleaning her apartment when there was a knock at the door. “Package for Dr. Weir!” yelled a voice.

Elizabeth froze. That voice had sounded so familiar, almost like... No, it was impossible. John was millions of light-years away on Atlantis, and besides, why would he be delivering packages? She opened the door, and her jaw dropped. It wasn’t John.

It was John, Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, and Carson.

Before she could react, John burst into the apartment and slung an arm over her shoulder. “Congratulations, Dr. Elizabeth Weir! You’ve just won an all-expenses paid trip to New York for Christmas, conducted by Sheppard Enterprises!”

“What?”

“Courtesy of Uncle Sam. Come on! We’ve got a plane to catch.”

“But...”

John deliberately misinterpreted her protests. “Don’t worry about packing. The lovely Ms. Emmagan will assist you with that. You shouldn’t worry about your safety in the Big Apple, either. I have it on good authority that Dex, here, can neutralize any threat.”

Ronon grinned at her.

“And on the off chance that you get sick, we’ve even got our own private physician! I’m told that women find his accent quite charming.” Carson rolled his eyes.

“I can’t,” Elizabeth said. “I just... can’t.” She wanted to, but it would be too hard to say goodbye again afterward.

“Listen,” John said. He wasn’t smiling anymore. “We miss you. We also heard that you were having a tough time back here on Earth. It’s the holidays, and we want to spend them with you.”

“Please, Elizabeth,” Carson added.

She could feel tears starting to well up. “I’ve missed you, too. All right. I’ve always wanted to see New York City at Christmas time.”

“That’s the spirit!” John was grinning again.

For the first time since they’d arrived, Elizabeth smiled back. “What about Rodney?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve got everyone else assigned a role, what about Rodney?” Elizabeth asked sweetly.

“Uhh... how about... annoying traveling companion?” John said. Rodney smacked him. “Ow!”

Teyla smoothly interrupted before John and Rodney could settle into a serious bickering session. “Perhaps it would be best if Elizabeth and I proceeded to the packing,” she said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth had to laugh when they got down to the street and she saw who was going to drive them to the airport. “General O’Neill!”

“I told you I was going to take matters into my own hands,” Jack said smugly.

“Is the entire SGC in on this?” she asked incredulously.

“Nah. Teal’c wouldn’t have fit in the car. Come on, kids, your chariot awaits.”

It took five minutes for the entire crew and all of their luggage to pile into Jack’s minivan, but then they were off and driving down the streets of Colorado Springs. Elizabeth found herself in the front with Jack. “Are we going to Colorado Springs Airport?” she asked.

“No way.” Jack looked in the rearview mirror and observed Rodney accidentally elbowing John in the ribs as he fought Ronon for room. “Can you imagine Ronon trying to fit in a normal airline seat? Or worse, trying to get through airport security?”

Elizabeth suddenly had the image of Ronon standing at the head of a long line of travelers, slowly removing knife after knife from improbable locations on his body while people grumbled behind him.

“No,” she said. “I suppose not.”

“We’re going to Peterson Air Force Base,” Jack said. “From there you’ll fly to Stewart Air Force Base, which isn’t very far from New York City. Then you’re on your own.”

Elizabeth shook her head ruefully. “We’re using military transport to go on vacation,” she said. “Our poor taxpayers.”

“Don’t think of it as a vacation. Think of it as... an Earth/Athos/Sateda cultural exchange program,” Jack said cheerfully. “You wouldn’t want two alien ambassadors to have anything less than the best travel arrangements, would you?”

In the seat behind them, Ronon was munching his way through a bag of potato chips he’d found in her pantry. As Elizabeth watched, Rodney attempted to steal a chip, and Ronon growled at him. “Alien ambassadors,” she muttered under her breath. “We’re all in big trouble.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What should we do first?” asked John as they walked to their rental car. “We’ve got five full days, so there’s plenty of time.”

“I don’t know,” Elizabeth admitted. “I’ve never actually played tourist in New York City before.” At John’s incredulous look, she continued, “I’ve been to the United Nations, of course, and I’ve attended diplomatic functions, but I’ve never had the opportunity to just roam around.”

“Hmm...” John said. “Obviously Teyla and Ronon haven’t seen any of the sights. Carson, Rodney, any thoughts on where we should start?”

Rodney shrugged. “As long as it’s not a football game, I’m good.”

John snorted. “Well, it won’t be a hockey game, either...” His voice trailed off.

“What?” Rodney asked suspiciously.

“You’ll see.” John grinned.

Several hours later, they stood at Rockefeller Center, watching as people ice-skated under the giant tree. Rodney looked at John. “Talking about hockey made you think of this?”

John shrugged. “Ice hockey, ice skating... whatever!”

Ronon was looking at the skaters with horror. “Your people strap blades to their feet and move around on ice?”

Elizabeth smiled wistfully. “I used to do this all the time when I was a child. Well, not in this particular place, but at my grandparents’ cabin in the mountains.” She laughed suddenly. “My cousins and I used to get into so much trouble when we snuck out in the middle of the night to skate under the stars.”

“I used to do something similar,” Teyla admitted. “Charin was not pleased with me.”

“Would you ladies like to do it again now?” John asked. “For old time’s sake.”

Teyla and Elizabeth looked at each other. “I don’t know...” the Athosian said dubiously.

“I haven’t been on skates in years,” added Elizabeth.

“Neither have I,” Rodney said. At John’s surprised look, he huffed irritably. “Yes, I actually did skate as a kid. Growing up in Toronto, it was hard not to.”

“I just thought you had your nose stuck in a book the whole time,” John teased.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” Rodney sniffed. Turning to Elizabeth and Teyla, he said, “Come on. I’m willing to try it if you are.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth said. What the heck. Hopefully it would be like riding a bicycle – you never forgot once you learned how.

Teyla looked at the other three men, and there was mischief in her eyes. “It would be a shame to leave the rest of you out of the fun. Why don’t you join us?”

The look on Ronon’s face was comical. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I’ll just stay here and watch your back.”

Teyla laughed. “Ronon, we are not fighting the Wraith!” At John’s and Rodney’s frantic gestures, she lowered her voice. “There’s no need to keep watch. It will do us all good to forget our cares for a little while.”

A pang of sorrow hit Elizabeth at Teyla’s words. She desperately wanted to be back in Atlantis, even if it meant the constant worry she’d always felt whenever a team went offworld. She didn’t want to forget those cares; they were the last link she had left to a place that seemed more like home than the planet of her birth.

John’s jaw tightened as he watched the emotions flit across Elizabeth’s face. He quickly pasted on a grin and spoke with deliberate cheer. “I think that’s a great idea, big guy! Think of it as acquiring a new skill with blades.”

Ronon looked like he’d rather be skewering John with his blades, but he reluctantly followed the rest of the group to the skate rental counter.

None of them were very good, but it was fun anyway. Once they coaxed Ronon into letting go of the railing, he quickly learned how to stay on his feet. Teyla was, as always, very graceful, but she wasn’t used to the cold and her feet rapidly got numb, causing her to stumble. Carson caught her, but overbalanced and tripped both of them up a minute later. John laughed at them until a gust of wind caused him to take a pratfall of his own. Of all of them, Rodney was the only one whose dignity remained intact by the time they lined up to return their skates.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“The Rockettes are impressive, aren’t they,” John said later as they came out of Radio City Music Hall.

Ronon grinned. “They’ve got legs up to here...”

Teyla smacked him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth’s curiosity finally got the better of her during dinner on the second night. They were eating in a lovely little Italian restaurant, the wine was very good, and she finally gathered up the courage to ask how things were going in Atlantis (discreetly, of course).

John grimaced, and Rodney didn’t look happy, either. “Your successor... isn’t quite up to speed yet,” John said.

As always, Rodney was more direct. “He’s a moron!” the physicist snapped.

“He reminds me a little of your Colonel Everett,” Teyla said thoughtfully.

“How so?” Elizabeth asked, intrigued. The IOA had replaced her with another civilian, one with a background in business and management.

“He is very confident in his own abilities.”

“Overconfident, you mean,” Ronon chimed in.

Teyla fixed him with a look. “Yes, overconfident is one way of describing it. It is also that he seems to have made up his mind as to how things will be done, and he is not willing to hear any alternatives.”

“Colonel Everett was like that when he first arrived,” Elizabeth agreed. “But even before he was attacked by the Wraith, he looked like he was starting to listen to advice.”

“Well, I hope this guy does the same,” John said. “Morale isn’t too good.”

“He alienates the science staff by micromanaging projects,” Rodney said. “That’s my job!” was the unspoken gripe.

“Our allies aren’t too happy, either. Ladon keeps finding excuses not to talk to us...” said John.

“Good,” muttered Ronon under his breath.

“... and the Athosians resent the way he treats them like primitives.”

“I hate to say it,” said Rodney, “but even Colonel Caldwell would have been a better choice. At least he wouldn’t be viewing the military as glorified cannon fodder. Let’s face it – your successor has managed to piss off pretty much everyone.”

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. “I wish...” her voice trailed off. “Well. I obviously can’t change what happened. Hopefully the transition will go more smoothly from now on.”

Rodney gave the faintest of smug grins.

Elizabeth saw it. “Rodney? What did you do?”

John and Rodney looked at each other. The physicist cleared his throat carefully. “Um... well... we might have made life a little difficult for him. Lots of maintenance problems, you know.”

“The cooking staff tends to run out of what he likes just before he gets to the mess hall,” John added happily. “Ronon helps with that.”

“We work with him, but only the bare minimum. We answer his questions, tell him what he needs to know, but that’s it.” Anger shone in Rodney’s eyes.

Elizabeth was shocked. “But aren’t you putting yourself in danger? What if the Wraith come and he’s not prepared? The entire city could be jeopardized.”

“No,” said John. “If it looked like things were starting to go south, we’d quit the act. But while things are calm... Anyway, the three of us made sure of that before we started anything.”

“The three of you?” asked Elizabeth. “You and Rodney, but who else’s idea was this?”

“Mine,” said Carson. Elizabeth gave him an incredulous look, and he smiled faintly. “I told you that I didn’t agree with the decision to send you back.”

John said, “It’s perfect. No one would think the doc is capable of organizing something like this, so no one suspects him.”

“Thank you, I think,” Carson said reprovingly.

Tears came to Elizabeth’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.

“Don’t say anything,” John answered. “Just let us help you.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next few days passed too quickly for Elizabeth. In spite of loud complaining from the men, she and Teyla spent one whole day shopping. On another day they went to some of the museums on the Upper East Side. And on the last day they went to a holiday performance at Lincoln Center. As they came out it started to rain, so they took refuge in the four-story Barnes and Noble bookstore across the street.

Carson and Rodney wandered off to the science section of the store, bickering amiably. Teyla, who had learned to read English during the expedition’s first year, went to indulge her passion for romance novels. (Ronon was less enthusiastic about this type of reading material, but he followed her anyway.) That left John and Elizabeth sitting by themselves at a table in the café area. Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee and sighed with pleasure. “This is nice,” she said. “It’s so good to see all of you again.”

John leaned back in his chair and studied her over the rim of his coffee mug. “So how have you been doing since you came home?”

“Fine, really,” Elizabeth said, although she couldn’t meet his eyes. “I won’t deny that it’s been an adjustment, but...”

John stopped her firmly. “Elizabeth. Come on, neither of us actually believes that.”

“Oh, yes, because you were always so forthcoming with your feelings!” It slipped out before she could stop it. “God, when did I start sounding like Rodney?”

A pained look crossed John’s face. “Point taken. But that’s my hang-up; it’s never been yours.”

“True.” She looked down at her feet for a minute. “You asked how I’ve been doing since I got home. The fact of the matter is that I didn’t come home; I actually left it. This stopped being home when the expedition started. So how am I doing? Not too well, really.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought.”

“Why? Is that what O’Neill told you?” Elizabeth wondered why she was suddenly so angry.

“He said you were depressed, and with good reason. He doesn’t buy the crappy excuse the IOA came up with, either. But...”

“But what?” Elizabeth demanded.

John sighed. “But you’re not helping your case by withdrawing from everyone. You should be fighting, getting into the IOA’s faces and letting them know you’re not going to just disappear and make things easy for them.”

Elizabeth considered this. “You’re right. It’s just that... every time I go to the SGC, I’m constantly reminded of what I lost.”

“I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” said John. “But few battles worth fighting are.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, looking out the window. Outside, the rain had turned to snow. John smiled. “It looks like it’ll be a white Christmas.”

“Going home again is the only present I want.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Elizabeth woke, it was still dark. Sitting up, she could see through the window that the snow was continuing to fall. They were supposed to fly back to Colorado Springs later today, and she found herself childishly hoping the snow would close the area airports and delay their return. With a soft sigh, she lay back down again and stared at the ceiling. The past few days had been truly wonderful.

Elizabeth realized that, deep down, she had been afraid her friends would forget about her. Now she saw that she had done them a disservice. They’d crossed galaxies to see her because of another friend’s concern. It gave her a new appreciation for John’s “leave no one behind” philosophy. But she had no illusions that the next steps would be anything other than an uphill battle.

She closed her eyes and lay quietly, but sleep refused to come. Teyla, who was sleeping in the other bed, rolled over and muttered something indistinct.. Not wanting to wake her, Elizabeth quietly got to her feet and left the room.

The group was staying in a charming little bed and breakfast in Greenwich Village. They were the only occupants, so they’d taken the larger of the two suites, with three bedrooms and a cozy sitting area. Emerging from her bedroom into the sitting area, Elizabeth sat down on the couch and put her feet up. She closed her eyes and relaxed, barely noticing when someone else came into the room.

“Couldn’t sleep, love?”

“Carson.” Elizabeth smiled at him. “I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

He sat down on the couch next to her. “No, you didn’t. I was awake anyway,” he said. “Ronon snores like a chainsaw.”

She had to stifle a laugh. “How can they stand it in the field, then?”

“Would you want to be the one to tell him?” The physician grinned.

“Not on a bet.”

The two of them sat in silence for awhile. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed this,” Elizabeth finally said. “Seeing all of you again...”

Carson’s voice was gentle. “Are you going to be all right?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to think so, but...” Her voice trailed off. “I have no idea what I want to do now,” she admitted. “Teaching or negotiating treaties on Earth seems so anticlimactic.”

He pondered that for a minute. “What about the SGC? If even half the stories I’ve heard about SG-1 are true, they could use a good diplomat. And it would put you in a good position to press your case for Atlantis.”

“I thought about that,” Elizabeth said. “I’m not sure I could be effective after having served as head of the SGC for awhile. General Landry might think I was stepping on his toes, and SG-1... well, let’s just say that I don’t think I endeared myself to them during my tenure there.”

“Talk to General O’Neill, then. I’m sure he can help you figure out a plan of attack. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t want you home as much as we do.”

She nodded. “Hopefully,” she said, but with a touch of doubt in her voice.

Carson sighed. “O’Neill was the only reason we even knew to come visit you. He told me that you were ignoring everyone’s phone calls. Elizabeth, you’ve got to learn to let people help you.”

“They shouldn’t have to!” Elizabeth looked surprised, then embarrassed, at her outburst.

“Why not? Neither you nor Rodney are Superman, love,” Carson said in an exasperated tone.

Stung, she retorted. “I know that. I just think that showing weakness is the last thing I want to be doing right now.”

“It isn’t showing weakness.” The physician shook his head. “You’re your own harshest critic.”

Elizabeth laughed humorlessly. “I don’t think so. I’d still be in Atlantis if that were true.”

“Your being sent away was pure political bullshite, and both of us know it. Don’t let it make you start doubting yourself.”

Elizabeth looked down at the floor. “How can I do anything but?” she said softly.

“Oh, Elizabeth,” Carson said sadly. He reached over and pulled her into a bear hug. “I’ve been your doctor, and I will always be your friend. It sounds like you need someone to say this to you, so I will. You did a fine job running the Atlantis expedition under conditions no one could ever have imagined. Who got us through the first year, cut off from Earth and knowing that a Wraith invasion was inevitable?”

“Colonel Sheppard...”

The physician interrupted. “You were the real backbone. I never said anything before, and I probably should have, but that damn fool stunt he pulled during the nanovirus outbreak could easily have gotten us all killed. He’s matured since then – we all have – but without you we never would have had the chance.”

Elizabeth took a deep, shuddering breath. “Thank you,” she said. “It means a lot to hear that. But I did plenty of things I’m not proud of. I should have handled Kavanaugh much differently from the very beginning, and I never should have pressured you into continuing the experiment with Michael. I’m sorry.”

“So you made your share of mistakes. You’re human. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve done plenty of things right, too. You convinced Chancellor Lycus to trust you and saved the Tiranians. And what about securing the alliance with the Genii?”

She nodded mutely.

Carson continued. “Most importantly, though, you managed to keep a few hundred mavericks working together productively without killing each other or blowing up the city. That takes skills ranging from diplomacy to babysitting!”

That got a chuckle out of her. “And I didn’t strangle anybody, either.”

“You see? Talent, indeed.” Carson held the embrace for another minute, then drew back slightly. “I could do with a spot of tea. Would you like some? My mum swears it will cure any ailment.”

“Thank you, yes.” Elizabeth said. She watched as the physician began to boil water in the hotel-provided coffee maker. “Will you get to see your mother while you’re here?”

He shook his head. “I spoke to her on the phone, though. She lectured me about eating properly and looking out for myself, but she understood when I told her I had another family commitment.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They went back to Colorado Springs, and all too soon, John and the rest of them had to return to Atlantis. Elizabeth came to the SGC to see them off. She smiled to herself as she watched Teyla teasing Ronon about finding him with her new Danielle Steele book. From the looks of it, Ronon was getting ready to console himself by pilfering one of the Snickers bars poking out of Rodney’s pack.

John’s face lit up when he saw her. “I’m glad you came. I know it can’t be easy.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Elizabeth replied. “Besides, I have to meet with General O’Neill before he goes back to Washington. It’s about my new job.”

“Oh?”

A wicked grin crossed Elizabeth’s face. “It seems that Homeworld Security doesn’t have a formal liaison with the IOA yet. O’Neill thought it would be good to have someone in the position who’d dealt with them before.”

John laughed. “Talk about getting in their faces!”

“Oh, yes. They will not get rid of me so easily! You gave me the idea – I’m going to wear them down by being a nuisance.”

“That’s great!” John said. “Between you in Washington and our conspiracy in Atlantis, the IOA will be begging you to leave within a month!”

An airman walked over to them. “Excuse me, sirs. We’ve been informed that the Daedalus is ready to beam you on board.”

One by one, Elizabeth hugged all of them. “Say hello to everyone in Atlantis for me.”

“We will,” Rodney promised.

“Hopefully soon, you will get to do this for yourself,” Teyla added.

The last thing Elizabeth saw before they vanished in a flash of light was John’s wink. “Keep the faith,” he said, and then they were gone.

She would. She most definitely would. And the IOA would never know what hit them.

FIN

FIC: Cadman the Vampire Slayer

dr_dredd — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:39:15 GMT

Title: Cadman the Vampire Slayer
Author: Dr. Dredd
Genre: Gen, humor, complete nonsense
Characters John Sheppard, Laura Cadman
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine. Bloody heck.
Words: 850
Summary: In every generation, a Slayer is born...

A/N: I’m so, so sorry for this. I blame too much caffeine and too little sleep. :-) Written for the sga_flashfic "Not Human" challenge.

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard leaned back in his chair and studied Laura Cadman. On the desk in front of him sat several thick reports marked “TOP SECRET.” “You do realize how dorky this sounds, right?” he said finally.

She grimaced. “Yes, sir.”

“I mean, ‘Cadman the Vampire Slayer’? Sounds like that TV show. By the way, if all of this is so hush-hush, why did your people allow a television program about it?”

“Plausible deniability, sir.”

“You mean....”

“Right. If someone sees a demon or vampire, or if a portal to Hell accidentally opens in the garbage dump, we can just say they were filming an episode.”

Sheppard nodded. “I see. Kinda like Wormhole X-Treme does for the Stargate Program.”

“Exactly.”

Sheppard leaned forward and fixed Cadman with a piercing look. “So, why start sharing information now? All of a sudden, your council of Peeping Toms....”

“Watchers, sir.”

“Uh-huh. According to this report General Landry sent me, your council of Watchers suddenly approached both the British and American governments and wanted to discuss a ‘partnership to save the planet.’ Why now, after hiding for so long?”

Cadman sighed. “To tell you that, I’m going to have to go into some history. Thousands of years ago, a group of powerful magicians thought it would be a good idea to have someone around who could fight demons, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night. Since then, in every generation, one Slayer is born.”

“And that’s you.”

“In a nutshell. When I die, the power will go to someone else. Anyway, in all that time, it never occurred to anyone to wonder how those magicians were so knowledgeable about evil creatures like vampires. Then the Stargate was discovered.”

Sheppard finally got it. “Those magicians were Ancients?”

“We think so,” Cadman said. “They had experience dealing with the Wraith. After that, finding and killing demons was child’s play.”

“Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why the Watchers waited until now to break their silence. If they knew about the Stargate when it was first discovered...”

Cadman interrupted. “With all due respect, sir, the American military didn’t exactly endear themselves to the Council. A few years back, a clandestine research project – run by the NID – tried to capture and dissect vampire and demon specimens to build a supersoldier. Things didn’t work out so well, and the world was almost destroyed again. The Council was rather miffed about that.”

“Again?” Sheppard wasn’t sure he wanted to know about the other times.

“Not to mention, they tried to nab yours truly.” She seemed especially insulted about that.

“So that’s how you knew what to look for when the Trust tried to destroy Atlantis. You’d already dealt with the NID in the past.”

“Right,” said Cadman, looking smug. “The brains behind the research project was a guy named Harry Maybourne. A real prick, I might add.”

“I guess I can see why your Council wasn’t so eager to share information,” Sheppard admitted. “What changed their minds?”

“We... um... sort of had a mole in the Pentagon. When we heard about the Wraith, one of the senior Watchers remembered something he read in one of the earliest known magic scrolls. That’s how we put two and two together and figured out who those old magicians were. We figured it was only a matter of time before the Wraith tried to reach Earth.” Cadman snorted. “It’s amazing the spirit of cooperation that can appear when everyone’s asses are on the line.”

Sheppard took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Well, this is quite a revelation, Lieutenant. It’s not every day that you find out your junior officer is some sort of mystical savior. And that brings me to my next point. Why did you join the Marines, anyway? Seems like you were doing a pretty good job on your own.”

“It was the only way we could think of to get me to the Pegasus Galaxy; I’m not exactly the science type.” Cadman smiled ruefully. “I’m sure Rodney has plenty to say about that.”

“No doubt.” Sheppard shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. So you’re a Slayer. Do you have your own personal Watcher that you report to?”

“Yes, I do.” Cadman hesitated a minute, then shrugged. “It’s Dr. Novak on the Daedalus.”

“Novak?” Sheppard gaped at Cadman. “The one who works with the little naked alien? The one who hiccups all the time?”

Cadman grinned. “The same.”

“I’ll be damned,” said Sheppard. “Well. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

“Nope!” she said cheerfully.

“All right. Beat it, then. I have to figure out how best to put you to work.” Suddenly Sheppard laughed to himself.

“What is it?”

“I’m beginning to see what it was really like for Rodney when you were stuck in his head. The Chief of Science for the Atlantis expedition, sharing a brain with someone who hunts demons. No wonder he flipped out.”

“Think about it from my perspective.” Cadman said wryly.

Sheppard smirked. “Oh, yes, and I seem to remember something else from that television show. Does this mean that your boyfriend is a vampire with a soul?”

Cadman’s grin was now pure cheekiness. “I’ll be sure to tell him you said so. Have fun at your next checkup, sir.”

“Oh, crap.”

FIN

FIC: The Sea My Destination (Coda) (PG)

dr_dredd — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:28:04 GMT

Title: The Sea My Destination (Coda)
Author: Dr. Dredd
Genre: Gen, h/c
Characters Rodney, John, Radek, Carson
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine. Bloody heck.
Words: 1065
Summary: Rodney wakes from nightmares to find himself in a different place than where he went to bed. Is he sleepwalking, or is it something more mysterious?

Part One

Rodney’s eyes flew open and he found himself in the infirmary. The bright light hurt his eyes and sent a spike of pain through his head. He couldn’t help letting out a small whimper, which drew some unwanted attention.

“Dr. McKay, are you all right?” asked one of the nurses. Rodney squeezed his eyes closed again and hoped she would leave. Instead, she pried one of his eyelids open to check his pupils with a penlight. Rodney couldn’t help himself; he shrieked and tried to slide off the bed to get away. “Get Dr. Beckett!” he heard the nurse say to someone else.

His sudden movement made him nauseous. Rodney ignored the flurry of medical personnel around him and curled himself into a ball, trying not to lose his nonexistent lunch. He started to feel lightheaded and a roaring noise filled his ears. He realized he was only seconds away from passing out again.

A hand fell on his shoulder, warm and reassuring. Someone gently coaxed him into a sitting position and rubbed his back as he tried to get his breathing under control. “That’s it, nice and easy,” a voice soothed. After a few minutes of this Rodney was finally able to open his eyes again.

“Carson?” he whispered.

“Who else?”

Rodney nodded. “How did I get here this time?” he rasped.

Carson pulled up a chair and sat down next to Rodney’s bed. “What do you remember?” he asked.

“Nothing. Why else would I be asking you how I got here?!”

The physician smiled at his friend’s irascibility. “Ah, Rodney. ‘Tis good to see you feelin’ more like yourself again.”

“Very funny.” He knew he wasn’t fooling Carson with the grouchy act; the man could see through him very effectively.

“The last thing I remember was going to the southern corridors. We were going to inspect some storm damage...” Rodney’s voice trailed off as memory returned, and a horrified look appeared on his face. “Oh my God, I almost drowned! What happened to the others? We...”

“Rodney, calm down,” Carson interrupted firmly before the physicist could start hyperventilating again. “Everyone’s fine. You got your people out of the area before the bulkhead sealed you in.”

“How did you get me out?”

“We didn’t.” Carson slowly explained to Rodney what had actually happened.

“You’re kidding me,” said Rodney.

“No, lad, I’m not. You teleported yourself out of a water-filled room. Almost didn’t make it, I might add.”

Rodney’s face paled. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Carson admitted. “And if I did, you’d probably accuse me of sheep-sacrificing, or some other nonsense like that,” he said wryly.

“Probably,” Rodney agreed absently. The physician snorted.

Rodney’s tone changed suddenly. “So what happens now?” he asked, with an air of resignation.

“What do you mean?” Carson was used to his friend’s non-linear thought processes, but that didn’t mean he could always follow them.

“Well, I’m assuming that Sheppard won’t want me on the team anymore, so...”

“Why would you assume that?” said a voice from behind them. Both Carson and Rodney turned to see John, who had walked into the infirmary without anyone noticing. “I’m not kicking you off the team. You don’t get away so easily.”

“You really want someone who might disappear into thin air on missions? I wouldn’t.”

John smirked. “You were disappearing into thin air long before this happened, Rodney. You always wander off to investigate weird energy signals without telling me. I’m used to it by now.”

“Oh, great. So now I’m some sort of nuisance,” Rodney griped. But he was trying to hide a grin.

“Definitely. So now that we’ve got that settled, how are you feeling?”

Rodney hesitated, and Carson gave him a look that said, you’d better tell the truth. “Exhausted,” he admitted, “and my head still hurts.”

The physician didn’t look too surprised. “That’s to be expected in someone who almost drowned. And in someone who was trying to cover up the fact that he hadn’t slept in days.”

Rodney glared at John, who didn’t look at all guilty at having blabbed.

Carson stood up. “All right,” he said in a businesslike tone. “Despite Major Sheppard’s not kicking your sorry bum off his team, you’re in no condition to return to work yet.” He held up a hand to forestall the protest already on Rodney’s lips. “We’ll discuss it again in a few days. In the meantime, I actually do have a few tests I want to run. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to jaunt again, but I’d like to know if it changed your brain wave pattern at all.”

“Jaunt?” asked Rodney.

Carson grimaced. “Never mind; I’ll explain later.” He raised an eyebrow at John, who took it as his cue to leave. As the major walked out, though, he drew Carson aside.

“No sealed glass tanks, right?” John said. It wasn’t entirely a question.

“God forbid,” Carson said. “Now scram, Major.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One year later

Carson shook his head. Drowning was getting to be a bad habit for his friend. Radek and John had just rescued Rodney from a downed puddlejumper at the bottom of the ocean. All three of them had finished decompression, and Rodney was now occupying the same bed as when he’d teleported himself out of trouble a year ago. He’d never been able to do it again, even under the threat of death.

Once again, Rodney looked exhausted and haggard. The physician hated to wake him, but he needed to check his neurologic functions. Carson gently lifted an eyelid to assess Rodney’s pupillary reactions, and expertly dodged the hand that shot out to smack him. Rodney was nothng if not cranky when first awakened.

“Sorry,” the physician whispered. “I’ll be done in a few minutes. Can you wiggle your toes for me?”

Rodney obeyed, although it was obvious to Carson that he still wasn’t completely conscious. After finishing the exam, Carson turned to go, but was stopped by Rodney’s mumbled, “Well, at least now we know one thing for sure.”

“And what’s that?”

“I obviously can’t teleport at will. If I could, I would have done it instead of hallucinating blonde astrophysicists.”

Carson snorted. “What goes through your mind, even concussed, scares me sometimes. Go back to sleep, Rodney. You just bought yourself another day of neuro checks.”

He quickly left before the bitching could start.

FIN

Steelers

dr_dredd — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:40:58 GMT

We will not mention their name in front of me until at least next year. :-(

Jacksonville 31
Pittsburgh 29

FIC: The Sea My Destination (PG)

dr_dredd — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:11:05 GMT

Title: The Sea My Destination
Author: Dr. Dredd
Genre: Gen, h/c
Characters Rodney, John, Radek, Carson
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine. Bloody heck.
Words: ~ 2300
Summary: Rodney wakes from nightmares to find himself in a different place than where he went to bed. Is he sleepwalking, or is it something more mysterious?

A/N: Takes place in the first season, right after “Before I Sleep.” Written for the sga_flashfic Secret Superpower Challenge. I’m currently working on a coda for this story, which should be up soon.

The bulkhead doors closed behind him with a resounding clang, trapping him in the control room for the rest of his short life. Rodney McKay stood on the balcony, watching the rapidly rising water with a mixture of fascination and dread. Next to him, Peter Grodin was doing the same thing. They’d tried their best, but it hadn’t been enough. Hopefully Elizabeth at least had managed to get away, along with Major Sheppard and the fuzzy-headed guy whose name he could never remember.

How would it feel to drown? Would it be quick and painless, or was it going to be a nasty way to go? Beckett would no doubt be able to tell him, both from a medical standpoint and personal experience. The doctor had been scouting out the lower levels in search of an infirmary, and those had been the first to flood. Rodney didn’t believe in an afterlife, but if there was one, he’d have to find the Scot and compare experiences. They’d already become friends during their short time in Antarctica.

The water had reached the level of his shoes, and Rodney could no longer see the Stargate. Grodin had shut his eyes, and his lips were moving in what looked like prayer. For the first time, Rodney wished he could at least pretend to believe in a deity. It would give him something to do other than just waiting to die and wondering if anyone on Earth would ever find out what had happened.

The water was now up to his chin. Desperately he tilted his head back to keep his nose out of the water for as long as possible. But the water continued to rise...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rodney opened his eyes with a gasp, then groaned. This was the third night in a row he’d had the same nightmare. Ever since Elizabeth’s double had told them her story, he couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d died in the alternate reality. He knew he should probably talk to Kate, but thought of having to put this dream into words make him break out into a sweat.

Well, as long as he was awake, he might as well go check on things in the lab. Rodney reached out to grab his earpiece radio from the table next to his bed, but his hand closed on empty air. He fumbled around in the dark for a minute, then gave up and issued a mental command to turn the lights on.

“Okay, what the hell?” Rodney muttered as his eyes adjusted. He wasn’t in his quarters at all. Instead, he found himself already in the lab, hunched over his computer. “I thought I left here.” He eyed the cup of cold coffee on his workbench, then decided against it and left to go to his quarters for real. As much as he hated to admit it, he probably needed sleep more than a jolt of caffeine.

o-o-o

Morning found Rodney in the mess hall, feeling like someone had run him over with a truck. Despite forgoing the coffee, he hadn’t been able to fall asleep again. Three nights without sleep were starting to take a toll, and he hoped he made it through the day without having to deal with paperwork, annoying underlings, or certain death.

“Hey, Rodney!” John Sheppard sat down next to him, displaying an inordinate amount of cheerfulness. “Are you okay? You look like crap.”

“And good morning to you, too, Major,” Rodney said irritably. Thankfully, snark was something he could do on autopilot. “At least my hair only looks like this when I haven’t slept. What’s your excuse?”

John snorted. “Ouch. I’m wounded.” He started eating his breakfast, then stopped to give his friend a shrewd look. “Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

Rodney was saved from having to answer by Lieutenant Ford’s arrival. Aiden wanted to ask John about something in the armory, and the physicist took the opportunity to quietly leave the table. He didn’t see John’s worried look follow him out of the mess hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bulkhead doors closed behind him again and the sea rushed in to fill the control room. Rodney had never realized how much he hated the water. He’d only learned to swim reluctantly, and he always avoided anything having to do with lakes or rivers or beaches. It was just his luck that the Lost City of the Ancients was located several hundred feet below the surface of an alien ocean. If he wasn’t facing imminent doom Rodney would have started ranting in disgust.

Actually, now that he thought of it, he might as well start ranting anyway. Grodin seemed a decent enough guy; surely he wouldn’t mind being yelled at in the last few minutes of his life. Rodney opened his mouth to complain about the pointlessness of his demise but was interrupted when one of the stained glass wall panels broke under the pressure of the water. He didn’t have time to say anything before the roiling surf slammed him into oblivion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This time Rodney woke up on his favorite balcony overlooking the East pier. His head was pounding and the cool night breeze made him shiver. Once again he wondered how he had gotten to his current location. Was his memory failing? Or worse, was he sleepwalking? If he was and if anyone found out, he could kiss his position on Sheppard’s team goodbye.

By now Rodney was beyond tired and well on his way to completely exhausted. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Sure, he’d pulled many an all-nighter in grad school and in Siberia, but he’d always been able to sleep without dreaming when he wanted to. His situation now was unacceptable. Radek had caught him starting to doze a few times, and Kavanaugh and his minions were no doubt planning a coup.

Oh, great. Now he was getting paranoid, too.

A glow on the horizon told him that sunrise was not far off. Rodney reluctantly got to his feet and began to walk down the corridors to his quarters. He concentrated on avoiding looking out the windows so as not to see the water surrounding the city.

Someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. “Rodney?”

The physicist jumped. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he snarled.

“McKay, what the hell is going on?” Sheppard, on his early morning run. “I called your name three times and you just kept staring at the floor!”

“I didn’t hear you,” Rodney mumbled.

“No kidding. Seriously, are you all right? I’m getting worried about you. You didn’t sleep again, right?”

“Yeah,” the physicist admitted.

John sighed. “I’m no shrink, but...”

“No!” Rodney snapped. Then, forcing himself to calm down, he continued, “I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t want to talk to Dr. Heightmeyer about this. It’s just some dreams, that’s all.”

The look John gave his friend was sympathetic but firm. “All right, but this can’t go on much longer. One more sleepless night and I’m dragging your ass down to the infirmary. You can talk to Carson if you don’t want to talk to Kate.”

“Fine,” Rodney said irritably. “Dreams, voodoo, should be right up his alley.”

John shook his head and gave a slight smirk. “One of these days he’s going to kick your ass for saying stuff like that.” As Rodney started to walk off, John stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Hope you feel better soon.”

o-o-o

The disaster hit late in the afternoon. A work crew was repairing residual storm damage close to the water level in the southern part of the city and Rodney had gone with them. (“To make sure they don’t re-sink the city,” as he explained later.) No one was really sure how it happened, but a small area of structural instability suddenly gave way and seawater rushed into an abandoned lab. Rodney got the other scientists to safety but was trapped himself when part of the ceiling caved in and prevented him from getting out before the city sealed off the area.

At the time, John was running some of the marines through a weapons drill. He only realized something was wrong when he heard Elizabeth calling for a medical team. He ran as fast as he could to the site of the accident and met Carson and Radek there. Both men looked grim.

“What happened?” John demanded.

“Rodney is trapped inside flooding compartment,” Radek replied. “He is also not answering his radio.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just like before, he was locked in a room that was rapidly filling with water. The room was much smaller this time, though, and his claustrophobia was beginning to kick in. He had been pinned by a piece of falling debris and his radio had been smashed. And if that weren’t enough, he was bleeding profusely from a gash on his scalp.

It was ironic, really. The elder Weir’s sacrifice saved him from drowning when they first gated into Atlantis. Now it seemed like fate or the universe wasn’t going to be cheated of its prize. Here he was again, facing death by drowning, and unfortunately it wasn’t a dream this time.

The water was extremely cold. He had been shivering heavily at first, but now he had stopped and was getting drowsy. The part of his brain that was still functioning screamed that this was a Bad Thing, that hypothermia was obviously setting in. He wished he had paid more attention during Carson’s first aid lectures because he had no idea if there was anything he could do to stave off the process. So he just sat there as the water reached the level of his chin and crept higher.

Rodney closed his eyes and fervently wished he was elsewhere.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

John looked at two of the engineers who had pried open a wall panel and were rearranging the control crystals. “Has anyone with the gene tried to get in there?”

“Carson tried, of course,” said Radek. “The city would not listen to him.”

“Bloody-minded Ancient technology,” Carson muttered.

“Your gene is stronger,” Radek said to John, with an apologetic look at the physician. “Perhaps it will...”

A sudden blast of air was the only warning they got. The next instant, Rodney materialized directly in front of the three men. His lips were blue-tinged, and for a long minute he didn’t seem to breathe. Then he started coughing violently.

“Holy Mother of God,” Carson whispered, staring at his friend in disbelief. Then he shook himself and started barking orders at the medical team. The medics swarmed over Rodney, applying monitor leads and starting intravenous lines. One of them turned Rodney on his side as he coughed up seawater; the physicist’s breathing improved rapidly after that. They loaded him onto a gurney and whisked him away to the infirmary before John could finish rebooting his brain.

o-o-o

It was several hours before Carson let anyone in to see Rodney. John spent all of them in the waiting area next to the infirmary. The rest of the team had wanted to stay, too, but the medical staff had shooed them out. John promised to let everyone know the minute he learned anything new.

After the second hour, Radek joined John in his vigil. “We have seen some strange things since we arrived in Atlantis,” said Radek. “This certainly tops the list.”

The corners of John’s mouth twitched. “Stranger than life-sucking alien vampires with bad teeth, bad hair, and a lousy fashion sense?”

Radek laughed. “You do have a point.”

A nurse finally came to tell them that they could go in. They found Carson standing next to Rodney’s bed. “He’s lucky to be alive,” the physician said without preamble. “A few more minutes and we might not have been able to revive him.”

John had to admit that Rodney looked pretty bad. He was covered from head to toe with heating blankets, and an IV line carrying warm fluids snaked underneath a blanket in the vicinity of his arm. His breathing had a congested sound to it. John supposed that he would be in a good deal of pain if he wasn’t unconscious. “You give him something to keep him out, Doc?”

“No, actually. I think this is sheer exhaustion.”

“He hasn’t been sleeping well for the last few days.” John observed. “Something about nightmares, and he was seen returning to his quarters from unusual places. But he said that he really didn’t want to talk to anyone about it.”

Carson sighed. “Of course not. I’ve never seen anyone who can complain as much about small things yet be totally silent about problems that really matter.”

They stood there, just looking at Rodney sleep. Finally John asked the question that was on all of their minds. “How did he manage to teleport out of a sealed room?”

“Jaunt,” said Radek.

“What?”

“Jaunt,” Radek repeated. “It’s from a book I read a long time ago. A science fiction classic. The main character could teleport, initially only when his life was threatened, then later he could do it at will. They called it ‘jaunting’.”

“Rodney’s life was most definitely threatened,” Carson said.

“Yes. Ironically enough, when it was first discovered that the character could jaunt, scientists tested him by putting him in an unbreakable glass tank, permanently sealing it, and filling it with water. Fear of drowning did the rest.”

Carson shuddered. “Well, I don’t think we’ll be doing that to Rodney. His nightmares probably caused him to, um, jaunt subconsciously. Though I do wonder if he’ll be able to do it again. I guess we’ll have to wait until he’s in another life-threatening situation to find out.”

“Around here, that probably won’t take very long,” John said grimly.

“Aye,” the physician agreed.

TBC

A/N: The book to which Radek is referring is, of course, The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. It really is a classic, and I highly recommend it.