Category: The Thing About Love

Stargate series

The Thing About Love – Epilogue

The warmth and weight is what wakes John. It always seems to, and it never fails to put a smile on his face as his senses filter to his brain: Rodney. It’s been three weeks since that day in the jumper. Three weeks of chaos and fighting, losing people as well as saving lives, but also three weeks of bliss and happiness like John has never known.

 

Shifting carefully, John wraps his arms around the sleeping form next to him. He knows it won’t be long before Rodney wakes, it never is, but John relishes these quiet moments the most where Rodney is still and utterly at peace. Ever so softly, John presses his lips against Rodney’s hair and lingers, breathing him in. Continue reading

The Thing About Love – Chapter 6

“How long before he wakes up?” Jeannie asks quietly, her eyes focused on her brother as she straightens his blanket.

 

Keller checks his readings with a quiet sigh. “I don’t know. However long it takes for his system to bounce back, I guess. Could be any minute, could be a few days from now.”

 

John swallows hard. It’s been three days since they brought Rodney back — in a coma. John fights down the fear that maybe rather than cure him, they have condemned Rodney to this instead. The thought makes his stomach roil. Without a word, he turns and heads to his office. Continue reading

The Thing About Love – Chapter 5

They make it through the gate only because luck is on their side, as well as John’s skill as a pilot. John’s fairly certain that none of the Wraith actually saw them through the cloud of smoke from the grenade Lorne had thrown in ahead of them in order to screen them. The tension in the jumper is high for everyone except Rodney, it seems, as he’s sitting behind John — and doesn’t that feel strange to not have him as co-pilot — talking excitedly and pointing at everything he sees and in general behaving more like a three-year old than the brilliant scientist John loves.

 

Clearing his throat, he focuses on following Ronon’s directions and landing the jumper safely in a clearing that’s further from the shrine than John would have liked, considering the Wraith are here. The terrain is too hilly and there are too many trees to get any closer, however. Continue reading

The Thing About Love – Chapter 4

Jeannie stands close to John, leaning slightly into him as she watches the screen. With one hand covering her mouth and the other arm hugging herself tightly, she shakes her head in denial.

 

I’m Mr. McKay.”

 

No, you’re a doctor,” corrects Keller off-camera.

 

Rodney shakes his head belligerently. “No, I’m a mister. Not a doctor anymore. Doctor is a title for smart people. I’m not smart anymore.” He glances away in an attempt to hide the pain of his confession. Turning his attention back to the camera, he adds in a quiet, slightly petulant voice, “I was the smartest person ever, but I’m not anymore.”

 

Muffling a cry, Jeannie turns away, hiding her face briefly into John’s chest before gathering herself. Squaring her shoulders, she glares at Keller. “How did this happen? How could you have missed this?”

 

Keller flushes as she attempts to explain, but she falls short. John can’t help but feel a small amount of satisfaction at Jeannie’s outrage, especially when it’s turned on Keller who looks younger than ever.

 

Teyla slips away to prepare Rodney for Jeannie’s visit, as Jeannie insists on seeing her brother right away. John and Ronon share a glance. Clearing his throat, John places a hand on Jeannie’s arm and tries to smile reassuringly. “We’ll be right outside, okay? Give you some time with Rodney. If you need anything…” His voice trails off, unsure how to convey what he’s trying to say.

 

Jeannie nods, patting his hand. “Thanks, John, I appreciate it. I still can’t believe that Rodney-” Taking a stuttering breath, she struggles to keep her composure.

 

“I know. Trust me, I know.”

 

Flashing him a grateful smile, she nods at him. Just then, Teyla returns and guides Jeannie to the room. As soon as the door closes behind her, John turns to Ronon and jerks his head before walking out of earshot. Ronon follows.

 

“Ronon, if you get the chance, talk to Jeannie.”

 

Ronon raises an eyebrow in question. Rolling his eyes, John makes an impatient gesture. “The shrine thing. Tell her about it. No matter what Keller says, Jeannie’s the one that has final say now that she’s here. She deserves to know, and you and I both know Keller would never tell her.”

 

Nodding, Ronon grumbles, “Yeah, okay.”

 

Colonel Sheppard to the gateroom.”

 

Tapping his earpiece, John frowns. “Chuck?”

 

Sir, we have a team coming in hot. I’ve already called medical and they’re on their way.”

 

Straightening, he nods to Ronon, indicating he stay put. “On my way. Have Lorne’s team ready, just in case.”

 

Yes, Sir. They’re already gearing up.”

 

John smiles at Chuck’s efficiency. He gets to the gateroom in time to see SA-5 come in — two of them running backwards and guns blazing, covering for the other two. With a nod to Chuck, the shield is up and everyone relaxes. Keller rushes forward with her team to take care of the injured, while John walks up to the team lead.

 

“What happened, Major?”

 

Major Kersey salutes curtly. “Sir, would advise we strike M6R-936 off our lists.” At John’s quirked brow, he adds with a brief twitch of his lips, “Very hostile… natives, Sir.”

 

“Natives?” John deadpans, glancing at the injured Marine.

 

“Yes, Sir. Animals, Sir, but not sure how to describe them. They did not like us encroaching their territory, Sir.”

 

Running a hand through his hair, John breathes deep. “Right. Okay, so no need to send in a team for negotiations, then.”

 

At that, Kersey grins. “Doubt they’d accept an apology, Sir. Or ever give one for that matter.”

 

John can’t help but snicker. “Alright, Major. Go get yourselves checked out by Keller and Lorne will debrief you at 14:00.”

 

After checking in with Lorne to make sure he’s aware of the debrief, John makes his way back to the infirmary to see how things are going with Rodney and Jeannie. He’s several feet from the infirmary when he hears raised voices. Hurrying, he sees Jeannie standing in front of Keller, her arms crossed and her eyes as cold and hard as ever he’s seen her brother’s be. Jeannie’s voice is ice. “You mean to tell me that you knew about the shrine, and you just blew it off? Who are you to decide that for my brother?”

 

Keller straightens herself, her cheeks flushing. “I’m his doctor! I know what’s best for Rodney-”

 

“Dr. McKay,” Jeannie cuts in sharply, startling Keller.

 

“What?”

 

“Dr. McKay, to you. You haven’t the right to be so familiar with him. And I’m his sister, which means I’m his next of kin and I get to decide what is best for my brother. Not you.”

 

Jeannie’s eyes flicker briefly to John, who has to bite his lip to keep from grinning. Even he knows that would be inappropriate right now, but he can’t help feeling both hope and triumph as Jeannie states unequivocally that they will take Rodney to the shrine, Wraith base or no.

 

Keller’s jaw clenches as she tries to argue, saying that there’s no scientific evidence and that the whole thing is a waste of time, not to mention dangerous to Rodney.

 

John clears his throat as he leans against the wall, arms loosely crossed as he gazes flatly at Keller. “We don’t go, Rodney dies anyway. We go, Rodney can be himself for a day and we get to say goodbye. At least when he dies there, it’ll be with dignity rather than what he’s facing now. You know that, Doc. As for danger; we take the Jumper through cloaked, the Wraith won’t even know we’re there.”

 

“But-” Keller starts, scowling.

 

“No buts. We are going and that is final,” Jeannie says firmly.

 

Huffing, Keller nods. “Fine, but I’m going with you to keep an eye on Rod-” At Jeannie’s glower, she amends, “Dr. McKay.”

 

“Not a problem,” John concedes. “C’mon, Jeannie, lets get you geared up and I’ll clear everything with Woolsey. Doc, I want to leave in thirty, have Rodney ready and meet us in the jumper bay.”

 

Without waiting for a response, John walks Jeannie down to the ready-room even as he radios Woolsey to get clearance. As expected, Woolsey gives the all-clear and John calls Ronon and Teyla to gear up.

 

Half an hour later, everyone’s in Jumper One. While they get situated, John pats the console and murmurs under his breath, “If this works, I’ll tell him. I have to at least let him know.”

 

The gentle, somewhat saddened nudge from Atlantis makes John smile slightly. Nothing can come of Rodney hearing what John has to say, but maybe it’ll mean something to Rodney to know he is loved.

 

Maybe.

 

 

The Thing About Love – Chapter 3

“I didn’t know you liked cats, Rodney. I’m more of a dog-person, myself.”

 

John stops in his tracks at the sound of Keller’s voice and laughter. He’s just outside the infirmary, and he’s pretty sure they haven’t noticed him yet. After checking to make sure no one’s around, he flattens himself against the wall and carefully peeks around the corner. His jaw clenches when he sees Keller sitting on the edge of Rodney’s bed, her hand resting lightly on top of Rodney’s.

 

His stomach lurches when he sees Rodney lean forward to whisper conspiratorially to her. John doesn’t stay long enough to hear any more. Spinning on his heel, he heads toward the Jumper bay. It isn’t his turn to sit with Rodney right now anyway, it’s Ronon’s, but John had wanted to steal a few minutes. Continue reading

The Thing About Love – Chapter 2

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

“John! John!”

 

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

John wakes with a start, heart pounding in tandem with the noise. Rodney?! Rushing to the door, it opens right as he reaches it and Rodney grabs his shoulders. The look of sheer panic in his eyes makes John’s throat and stomach tighten with worry. Continue reading

The Thing About Love – Chapter 1

“So you’re telling me that McKay’s going to revert to…” John pauses and glances around at his team, unsure how to finish. He’s never felt this helpless before, not even back in Afghanistan when he watched Holland die. The idea of McKay not being… well, McKay.

 

Keller crosses her arms tightly around herself as she nods curtly. “He’s already regressed at an alarming rate and it’s only going to go faster from what I can tell. I don’t know what more to do for him.” She glances to the monitor which shows McKay’s scans. “I’ve told Mr. Woolsey to request his sister come back so she can say goodbye.”

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