teaser, centaur fic SGA
Jul. 18th, 2005 10:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gilascaveThe following is a paid service announcement teaser for the next centaur fic in the Stargate:Atlantis series. It contains spoilers for Seige III.
Radek closed his eyes. He was standing in the control room, half-listening to everyone. Telling each other it was over. It was done. The Wraith were gone.
Radek's head ached, and not only from the number of stimulants Carson had been giving him lately. Calibrated for his non-human metabolism which meant -- unless he changed forms soon -- his human form was going to crash extremely spectacularly. If he changed, he'd still crash, but it would be a lot easier to live through.
But he wasn't worrying about that. Atlantis was safe for now, and he could afford a week in the infirmary, sleeping.
He was worrying about whether he could bring himself to look his herd stallion in the eyes again. If he could survive whatever John Sheppard wanted to do to the person who'd let Ford grab a shuttle and escape.
Radek had run down to the control room as soon as he'd ben able to stagger to his feet. He'd arrived just in time to see the puddle jumper vanish through the stargate. He'd seen John watching Ford go with a look on his face that Radek felt only he, Carson, and Will could possibly interpret correctly.
And it was his fault, for not stopping Ford. Radek knew he could have. He'd heard the young man approaching, but he'd thought it was someone coming to offer help, or demand an update. Radek had chosen to remain focused on making sure the cloaking circuitry was working properly, watching intently for any sign of failure.
Then he'd been knocked down. Lost his balance because he was too tired to do anything but think, and he'd been too slow to rise -- if he'd just been a little less exhausted, he could have run after Ford before he'd closed the ramp.
Radek kept his eyes closed and tried not to listen for John's voice. Ford was gone, left Atlantis and very nearly betrayed them all to the Wraith in dialing the Gate. If they'd been dead, now, Radek knew whose place in the Fields would be forfeit.
He could feel the room swaying, and he wished he could stand on all fours. He heard Rodney and Elizabeth speaking, then there was Carson ordering Rodney to the infirmary.
"I don't need--" Rodney snapped, but his voice held none of its usual heat.
"A bed, food, and nothing to do but sleep?" Carson asked.
There was a pause, then, "Well, when you put it that way, yes. But can't I just go to my own room?"
"Perhaps, after I've had a look at you." Carson's tone brooked no argument, and Radek wasn't surprised to hear two sets of footsteps, moving away.
Then he smelled John coming near, and Radek forced his eyes open. He saw Elizabeth frown and she started towards him, but John ran up the stairs and beat her to his side.
"I'm sorry," Radek said.
John blinked. "For...?" He was distracted; Radek knew he was thinking about Ford.
"I didn't stop him. Taking the jumper." Radek found himself tensing. Too tired to feel fear.
"I doubt you could have," John said. "He was hopped up on that Wraith enzyme. The stunner didn't even take him down. I don't see what you could have done to stop him."
"I--" Radek wanted to apoligise again, because surely he could have stopped him. If...well, if he'd been in his other form. If he'd not been so dizzy with exhaustion. If....
John was taking his arm, suddenly, and Radek tried to focus. "Come on. I'll help you down."
"Down where?" Radek found himself taking a step forward, as John led him away.
John gave him a worried look, and said, "To the infirmary. Didn't you hear Carson?"
"Yes." Radek nodded. "He took Rodney."
John frowned again, briefly, then he grinned. "That was three minutes ago. Been asleep on your feet again?"
"Oh." Radek tried to think, and found that his brain was refusing.
"Come on," John said, and Radek noticed that there was no reprimand at all in his voice. Just the soft, easy tone that always made Radek want to lean sideways onto John, and remain there.
"Maybe we should get a stretcher," he heard Elizabeth saying. Then Radek felt John nudging him back to put his weight on his own feet, and Radek realised he'd followed his thought with the action.
"Sorry. I can walk." He pried his eyes open again, not sure when he'd closed them.
"Sure you can," John said. "Hey, Foster, give me a hand driving this thing." One of the newly arrived Marines hurried over, and Radek found his other arm being draped over the young man's shoulders.
"I am...." Radek frowned.
"You're what?" John asked, as they left the control room. Radek realised he was headed for someplace to sleep, and he wondered if they could possibly move faster.
He looked at John. His feet were half-sliding along the floor, and he thought he should be able to move them. There were only two, after all. How hard could it be to maneouvre them?
"Radek?"
"Yes, John?"
John laughed, once. "Right. Infirmary, bed, and you two geniuses can sleep it off."
Radek nodded. "That is excellent idea."
~~~
He wasn't entirely sure how long it was before he opened his eyes again. He knew he'd woken up a few times, because he had vivid memories of Carson standing next to him, telling him quite sternly to shut up and go back to sleep.
Radek was fairly sure that some of those times hadn't been his fault. They'd put him in a bed next to Rodney, after all, and Rodney was the one who'd started talking about power generators. Carson said Rodney was talking in his sleep and that discussing scientific theories with him was pointless. Radek had tried to explain that it would help *him*, since he was awake to remember what they came up with, but Carson had just got John to come down and repeat all of Carson's instructions in a firm, herd stallion, tone.
The fourth time Radek had woken up, he'd discovered they'd moved Rodney to another bed. He'd closed his eyes again almost immediately, and when he'd opened them again he thought perhaps they'd been serious when they'd said he'd sleep for a week.
His body ached, and he was desperately thirsty despite the IV he could feel stuck in his wrist. He could hear Rodney, across the room, talking to someone about just exactly how many grams of mustard should be on his sandwich. Radek blinked and tried to sit up.
"Where do you think you're going?" Carson asked.
"Food?" Radek tried to sit up again, and thought maybe he was going to succeed. Then Carson put his hand on Radek's shoulder and the weight held him down. "Food," Radek repeated. "What Rodney said. Only without cheese."
"And cold pickles!" Rodney shouted, and Radek turned his head to see a nurse hurrying away from Rodney's bed. "I don't want pickles at all, if they aren't cold!" he called after her.
Rodney laid back against his pillow, and Radek scowled. Why could *he* sit up, when Radek wasn't allowed to?
"No pickles," Radek told Carson. "Are there any tomatoes? Did Daedulus bring fresh supplies?"
He found Carson grinning at him, and Radek wondered if he'd said something wrong. But Carson shook his head. "The pair of you," he said, still grinning. "If I didn't know better I'd swear you were twins."
Radek frowned. "He's the evil one," he said. "If Rodney says otherwise, he is lying."
"Funny, he already said the same thing about you."
"When can I leave?" Radek asked, deciding to wait until Carson wasn't paying attention to try sitting up again.
Carson looked surprised, then glanced at his watch. "Well, you've been awake for all of four minutes. I'd say, not until you can walk without falling over." Radek opened his mouth, and Carson added quietly, "On two feet."
Radek glared. "That is not fair."
"Yes, but it's doctor's orders. I know it's not fair, wanting my patients to stay in their beds until they're recovered--" Carson stopped, and Radek saw a dark look in his eyes. He wanted to reach out for Carson's hand, but his own hand was too heavy to move properly.
"Who is going to entertain me while I am lying here?" Radek asked.
Carson blinked in surprise, then he smiled. "We'll move you and Rodney back beside one another and you can talk to him."
"That is good. Our earlier conversation about the new generators was rudely interrupted."
"And it's a good thing," John said, walking up behind Carson. "The last I heard, you two were going to reroute the power supply with baling wire. And I know I heard you say something about 'žvýkací guma'."
Radek gave John an innocent look, which John returned with one of his better 'don't even try it' expressions. Radek subsided, and sighed. "I'm hungry," he repeated. "And my body hurts. I'm still tired -- why am I still tired? And actually, you *could* use chewing gum to--"
He stopped as a thumb pressed into the sole of his left foot. John had walked to the end of his bed and stuck his hands under the edge of the sheet, but Radek hadn't realised what he was doing. Not until now, and he groaned loudly as John pressed again.
"Prosím, k službám," Radek breathed. "Please, yes." He didn't have to try to lie still, despite his body's urge to writhe happily. He was too tired to move, and John was rubbing his feet -- who would *want* to move? And risk disrupting him?
"Hey!" Rodney's voice tried to interrupt Radek's bliss. "Me, too!"
Radek heard Carson chuckle, then he moved away -- from the lack of complaint from Rodney's side of the infirmary, Radek guessed he was being taken care of. But either way, he didn't care, because John finished with his left foot, then moved on to his right.
Dear gods, this was worth saving the city for.
~~~
Radek closed his eyes. He was standing in the control room, half-listening to everyone. Telling each other it was over. It was done. The Wraith were gone.
Radek's head ached, and not only from the number of stimulants Carson had been giving him lately. Calibrated for his non-human metabolism which meant -- unless he changed forms soon -- his human form was going to crash extremely spectacularly. If he changed, he'd still crash, but it would be a lot easier to live through.
But he wasn't worrying about that. Atlantis was safe for now, and he could afford a week in the infirmary, sleeping.
He was worrying about whether he could bring himself to look his herd stallion in the eyes again. If he could survive whatever John Sheppard wanted to do to the person who'd let Ford grab a shuttle and escape.
Radek had run down to the control room as soon as he'd ben able to stagger to his feet. He'd arrived just in time to see the puddle jumper vanish through the stargate. He'd seen John watching Ford go with a look on his face that Radek felt only he, Carson, and Will could possibly interpret correctly.
And it was his fault, for not stopping Ford. Radek knew he could have. He'd heard the young man approaching, but he'd thought it was someone coming to offer help, or demand an update. Radek had chosen to remain focused on making sure the cloaking circuitry was working properly, watching intently for any sign of failure.
Then he'd been knocked down. Lost his balance because he was too tired to do anything but think, and he'd been too slow to rise -- if he'd just been a little less exhausted, he could have run after Ford before he'd closed the ramp.
Radek kept his eyes closed and tried not to listen for John's voice. Ford was gone, left Atlantis and very nearly betrayed them all to the Wraith in dialing the Gate. If they'd been dead, now, Radek knew whose place in the Fields would be forfeit.
He could feel the room swaying, and he wished he could stand on all fours. He heard Rodney and Elizabeth speaking, then there was Carson ordering Rodney to the infirmary.
"I don't need--" Rodney snapped, but his voice held none of its usual heat.
"A bed, food, and nothing to do but sleep?" Carson asked.
There was a pause, then, "Well, when you put it that way, yes. But can't I just go to my own room?"
"Perhaps, after I've had a look at you." Carson's tone brooked no argument, and Radek wasn't surprised to hear two sets of footsteps, moving away.
Then he smelled John coming near, and Radek forced his eyes open. He saw Elizabeth frown and she started towards him, but John ran up the stairs and beat her to his side.
"I'm sorry," Radek said.
John blinked. "For...?" He was distracted; Radek knew he was thinking about Ford.
"I didn't stop him. Taking the jumper." Radek found himself tensing. Too tired to feel fear.
"I doubt you could have," John said. "He was hopped up on that Wraith enzyme. The stunner didn't even take him down. I don't see what you could have done to stop him."
"I--" Radek wanted to apoligise again, because surely he could have stopped him. If...well, if he'd been in his other form. If he'd not been so dizzy with exhaustion. If....
John was taking his arm, suddenly, and Radek tried to focus. "Come on. I'll help you down."
"Down where?" Radek found himself taking a step forward, as John led him away.
John gave him a worried look, and said, "To the infirmary. Didn't you hear Carson?"
"Yes." Radek nodded. "He took Rodney."
John frowned again, briefly, then he grinned. "That was three minutes ago. Been asleep on your feet again?"
"Oh." Radek tried to think, and found that his brain was refusing.
"Come on," John said, and Radek noticed that there was no reprimand at all in his voice. Just the soft, easy tone that always made Radek want to lean sideways onto John, and remain there.
"Maybe we should get a stretcher," he heard Elizabeth saying. Then Radek felt John nudging him back to put his weight on his own feet, and Radek realised he'd followed his thought with the action.
"Sorry. I can walk." He pried his eyes open again, not sure when he'd closed them.
"Sure you can," John said. "Hey, Foster, give me a hand driving this thing." One of the newly arrived Marines hurried over, and Radek found his other arm being draped over the young man's shoulders.
"I am...." Radek frowned.
"You're what?" John asked, as they left the control room. Radek realised he was headed for someplace to sleep, and he wondered if they could possibly move faster.
He looked at John. His feet were half-sliding along the floor, and he thought he should be able to move them. There were only two, after all. How hard could it be to maneouvre them?
"Radek?"
"Yes, John?"
John laughed, once. "Right. Infirmary, bed, and you two geniuses can sleep it off."
Radek nodded. "That is excellent idea."
~~~
He wasn't entirely sure how long it was before he opened his eyes again. He knew he'd woken up a few times, because he had vivid memories of Carson standing next to him, telling him quite sternly to shut up and go back to sleep.
Radek was fairly sure that some of those times hadn't been his fault. They'd put him in a bed next to Rodney, after all, and Rodney was the one who'd started talking about power generators. Carson said Rodney was talking in his sleep and that discussing scientific theories with him was pointless. Radek had tried to explain that it would help *him*, since he was awake to remember what they came up with, but Carson had just got John to come down and repeat all of Carson's instructions in a firm, herd stallion, tone.
The fourth time Radek had woken up, he'd discovered they'd moved Rodney to another bed. He'd closed his eyes again almost immediately, and when he'd opened them again he thought perhaps they'd been serious when they'd said he'd sleep for a week.
His body ached, and he was desperately thirsty despite the IV he could feel stuck in his wrist. He could hear Rodney, across the room, talking to someone about just exactly how many grams of mustard should be on his sandwich. Radek blinked and tried to sit up.
"Where do you think you're going?" Carson asked.
"Food?" Radek tried to sit up again, and thought maybe he was going to succeed. Then Carson put his hand on Radek's shoulder and the weight held him down. "Food," Radek repeated. "What Rodney said. Only without cheese."
"And cold pickles!" Rodney shouted, and Radek turned his head to see a nurse hurrying away from Rodney's bed. "I don't want pickles at all, if they aren't cold!" he called after her.
Rodney laid back against his pillow, and Radek scowled. Why could *he* sit up, when Radek wasn't allowed to?
"No pickles," Radek told Carson. "Are there any tomatoes? Did Daedulus bring fresh supplies?"
He found Carson grinning at him, and Radek wondered if he'd said something wrong. But Carson shook his head. "The pair of you," he said, still grinning. "If I didn't know better I'd swear you were twins."
Radek frowned. "He's the evil one," he said. "If Rodney says otherwise, he is lying."
"Funny, he already said the same thing about you."
"When can I leave?" Radek asked, deciding to wait until Carson wasn't paying attention to try sitting up again.
Carson looked surprised, then glanced at his watch. "Well, you've been awake for all of four minutes. I'd say, not until you can walk without falling over." Radek opened his mouth, and Carson added quietly, "On two feet."
Radek glared. "That is not fair."
"Yes, but it's doctor's orders. I know it's not fair, wanting my patients to stay in their beds until they're recovered--" Carson stopped, and Radek saw a dark look in his eyes. He wanted to reach out for Carson's hand, but his own hand was too heavy to move properly.
"Who is going to entertain me while I am lying here?" Radek asked.
Carson blinked in surprise, then he smiled. "We'll move you and Rodney back beside one another and you can talk to him."
"That is good. Our earlier conversation about the new generators was rudely interrupted."
"And it's a good thing," John said, walking up behind Carson. "The last I heard, you two were going to reroute the power supply with baling wire. And I know I heard you say something about 'žvýkací guma'."
Radek gave John an innocent look, which John returned with one of his better 'don't even try it' expressions. Radek subsided, and sighed. "I'm hungry," he repeated. "And my body hurts. I'm still tired -- why am I still tired? And actually, you *could* use chewing gum to--"
He stopped as a thumb pressed into the sole of his left foot. John had walked to the end of his bed and stuck his hands under the edge of the sheet, but Radek hadn't realised what he was doing. Not until now, and he groaned loudly as John pressed again.
"Prosím, k službám," Radek breathed. "Please, yes." He didn't have to try to lie still, despite his body's urge to writhe happily. He was too tired to move, and John was rubbing his feet -- who would *want* to move? And risk disrupting him?
"Hey!" Rodney's voice tried to interrupt Radek's bliss. "Me, too!"
Radek heard Carson chuckle, then he moved away -- from the lack of complaint from Rodney's side of the infirmary, Radek guessed he was being taken care of. But either way, he didn't care, because John finished with his left foot, then moved on to his right.
Dear gods, this was worth saving the city for.
~~~