"Stop! Wait! Lieutenant, stop!" McKay watched in slow motion as Ford's foot stepped on the trigger and the ceiling caved in on them. He tried pushing at the rock to keep it from burying him entirely but something stopped his arms from moving.

"McKay, you're fine," a voice called from far away. "You're safe, remember?"

He didn't know where he was, the cave-in had left him in the claustrophobic darkness, he knew he was anything but safe and where was Ford? He had to find the Lieutenant and get them out of here. He tried moving the rock again only to be frustrated when his arms wouldn't move.

"Hey, hey, calm down," the voice said not nearly as far away now and this time McKay stopped struggling and tried to listen. "Ford is fine, you are going to be fine. You just need to calm down. You think you can open your eyes for me?"

Rodney stopped pushing against the weight on his arms and slowly opened his eyes. That is, he tried to open his eyes, for some reason he could only get one of them to obey. It was still dim, but it wasn't the utter blackness from … what?

"Hey, you with me now, McKay," the voice said and McKay looked up to see Sheppard holding his left arm, the right was tied to his side by something.

"Hurts," McKay mumbled.

Sheppard leant back slightly but still kept one hand lightly on his arm, for which McKay felt oddly grateful. "Yeah, I'll bet you do."

He let his one eye wander around the room when he suddenly realised where he was. "'Lantis?" he murmured and gave Sheppard a puzzled look.

Sheppard smiled. "Yeah, you're home."

"Major?" another voice asked sleepily and Teyla walked into McKay's line-of-sight.

"All fine, Teyla, just a nightmare I think," Sheppard explained.

"Doctor McKay, it is good to see you awake," Teyla said and smiled.

McKay's eyes started to drift closed when he remembered the rest of the nightmare. His eye popped back open and he tried to shift on the bed. As soon as he moved, though, his right shoulder throbbed and he moaned and tried to curl up around the pain.

"No, you don't want to do that, McKay," Sheppard told him as he helped Rodney settle again. "Beckett says you did a real number on your shoulder and moving it is gonna hurt for awhile."

McKay looked down and discovered his right arm in a sling, and with that memory flooded back. It hadn't been a nightmare, there really was a cave-in, which means … "Ford?" he asked and looked from Teyla to Sheppard. "Where's Ford?" He felt the familiar panic building as he waited for one of them to answer.

"Lieutenant Ford is right here," Teyla said and Sheppard moved enough for McKay to see the Lieutenant sleeping in the other bed. "He was also injured, but will be fine."

"I take it you remember what happened," Sheppard said and sat in the chair by the bed, his hand still on McKay's arm.

McKay looked at the far wall, not meeting Sheppard's eyes. "My fault," he whispered. "I saw the trigger but didn't warn Ford in time." He wanted to see just how mad Sheppard was with his confession but his body had other ideas and his eyes started to close.

"I think you're a bit confused, buddy," Sheppard said softly and patted his arm.

That baffled McKay enough for him to try opening his eyes again. "No, just go back to sleep, McKay. Everything is fine, nothing to worry about. And nothing was your fault," Sheppard added in a whisper as McKay fell asleep.

He was in that floating state between sleep and wakefulness when he heard voices speaking. It took him a few minutes to realise the conversation he heard was real and not part of another dream.

"... happens with trauma, Major," a new, accented, voice said and McKay thought he was hearing the conversation through a long tunnel, or a bad long-distance phone call. "Though Rodney tends to blame himself when something goes wrong."

"Well, it's just nuts," Sheppard said sharply and was shushed by someone.

"That's … what I said, sir." It took a second for McKay to figure out the breathy voice was Ford. "Told you … he thought you'd … be mad."

"I do not understand," Teyla said and McKay realised her voice sounded less tunnel-y. "Why would Doctor McKay think the mine accident was his fault?"

"He said something about a trigger when he was awake a few hours ago," Sheppard explained, "But I thought it had just been part of a nightmare, not what actually happened."

"Booby-trap," Ford supplied. "He thought … for the Wraith."

He cracked open his one good eye and saw Teyla nod. "I did say the people were skilled craftsmen, Major. It is possible many more such … boobytraps? were set that we never found. As I said, my people do not go to the ruins, only to the forest for fruit."

McKay tried to sit up in the bed to add his two cents to the conversation, but as soon as he moved, his shoulder informed him how bad an idea that was and he moaned softly. He was aware of Sheppard taking his weight and he gripped the Major's arm as the wave of pain washed over him.

"I think I told you once already you didn't want to be moving around so much," Sheppard said as he settled McKay back in the bed.

Beckett readjusted the sling. "You back with us now, Rodney?" he asked with a small smile and McKay nodded.

The grip on Sheppard's arm loosened slightly as the pain subsided but he didn't let go and Sheppard didn't seem to notice or care. Teyla just smiled an enigmatic smile that McKay didn't have the energy to worry about at the moment. He tried to get his other eye to open but didn't get much more than a squint.

"Don't try and force it, lad," Beckett said from McKay's blind side. "You've got one heck of a bruise and the swelling is affecting your eye."

McKay reached up and touched his face lightly and hissed out a breath.

"Yeah, it's something to see, McKay," Sheppard told him and gently moved McKay's hand away from his face.

"Shoulder? Broken?" McKay asked Beckett.

"No," Beckett assured him. "You did manage to dislocate it, however, and the bruising on your back is even worse than your face, so you will need to take care of yourself for the next little bit."

"How long?"

Beckett frowned. "At least a month in the sling, Rodney. Plus physical therapy."

His face paled slightly as he remembered Ford unable to breathe. He turned frightened eyes on Sheppard. "Ford?" he asked and tried to look around.

"He's right here," Sheppard said. "He's got some bruised ribs, but he'll be fine."

McKay had a moment of déjà vu as Sheppard moved slightly so he could see the other bed. He turned to see Ford sitting up and smiling weakly at the scientist. "Told you so," Ford said and smiled a bit wider at Sheppard.

McKay didn't get the joke, but he was sure it was aimed at him and scowled.

"Hey, none of that," Sheppard admonished. "Apparently you doubted whether or not we'd come get you."

McKay looked away. He'd been sure no one would come to their rescue, or if they did come it would be too late. No one in the past had ever really bothered to care where he was or what he was doing, he hadn't expected that to change coming to another galaxy.

"And that's lesson two, McKay," Sheppard told him and tapped McKay's arm, his eyes earnest. "No one gets left behind. You get yourself in trouble and we will be there to get you out."

McKay saw the absolute truth of the statement on Sheppard's face and swallowed the sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he glanced at Teyla and Ford, even Beckett still hovering on the other side of the bed. His eyes met Sheppard's and he nodded.

"Good," Sheppard said and leant back in the chair with a smile. "Glad we agree."

"All right, people," Beckett said and made a shooing motion toward the door. "My patients have had enough excitement for one morning. You two," he pointed at Sheppard and Teyla, "go find some breakfast and then your own beds for a few hours. Doctor's orders."

Teyla smiled at McKay, gave Ford's hand a quick squeeze and left the infirmary.

"That means you, too, Major," Beckett said as Sheppard still sat in the chair. "They aren't going anywhere for a few days at least. You can come back later."

Sheppard raised his hands in surrender. "All right, I'm going. Anything I should bring back for you guys?"

"No computers!" Beckett said before McKay could even start to form the words. "No work, either. You're here to rest, Rodney. You as well, Lieutenant."

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Two days spent in the infirmary gave McKay a lot of time to think about teams and trust. He was surprised the first few times he woke up to find someone sitting by his bed. Sometimes it was Teyla, once it was Weir, usually though it was Sheppard, either reading reports or playing solitaire on the bedside table while Rodney slept. After asking the Major the first time why he was there and receiving nothing but an eye-roll for his trouble, McKay gave up wondering and just accepted it.

Beckett was cautiously optimistic that he hadn't done any permanent damage to his shoulder and once he could move it enough to start physical therapy, he'd be released. He'd been a little jealous when Ford was freed that morning with strict orders to go back to his quarters and rest.

That afternoon he sat staring at the makeshift chessboard Sheppard had found somewhere when he received another surprise in the form of Grodin coming in the infirmary carrying a larger than normal datapad.

"No computers, how many times do I have to tell you lot that?" Beckett cried as he left his office and glared first at the scientist and then at Sheppard.

"Grodin," Sheppard greeted as he stood from the chair next to McKay's bed. "Did you get it to work?"

"I think so," Grodin replied and held out the device.

"What's going on?" McKay asked from his bed, the chess game forgotten as Sheppard's back blocked most of his view of what the scientist had.

"Just a little surprise, McKay," Sheppard said with a grin and came back to the bed with the datapad.

"Major, I meant what I said," Beckett said sternly. "No computer, no work, of any kind for at least a week."

"I know that Doc, this is just something to encourage him to get better and not lay about any longer than necessary." Sheppard gave McKay a cheeky grin.

"What did you do to my computer?" McKay asked, curiosity giving way to suspicion as he looked from Sheppard, to Grodin, to the computer in Sheppard's hand.

Sheppard sat back in the chair and laid the pad on the bed recently vacated by Ford. Sheppard's smile dropped and Rodney felt the suspicion move on to panic. "What's happened?" he asked.

"Nothing," Sheppard reassured. "As far as I know the city is running just fine for the moment." Grodin nodded in confirmation. "After we got you and Ford out of the mine," Sheppard continued, "Teyla and I picked up your packs and brought them back with us. Do you have any idea how much your pack weighed with all the computer hardware you'd packed? I thought I said only bring what you'd think you'd need."

"How was I supposed to know what I'd need?" McKay argued. "I'd never been camping before, Major, something I think I mentioned before we even left on your field trip."

"Well, hauling all that back through the stargate got me thinking and I went to Grodin to see what he could do."

Grodin stepped forward. "I took a look at the files on the datapad and your laptop." He stopped as McKay scowled at him.

"Stop that," Sheppard told him, "he's here to help."

"I knew you'd need something for field diagnostics as well as reports," Grodin explained, "so I went to Doctor Zelenka and we sort of built you a combo machine." He picked up the datapad. "Zelenka thought it was an interesting challenge integrating the diagnostics hardware with the laptop and keeping the form-factor within Major Sheppard's limits."

"What limits?" McKay asked Sheppard.

"It had to be small enough to fit in the laptop slot on your pack and light enough that you could still hike comfortably," Sheppard explained as he took the combo computer from Grodin and turned it over in his hands.

"We settled on no more than two point five kilos," Grodin added.

McKay looked over at the datapad in Sheppard's hands then at Sheppard himself and then to Grodin. "Thank you," he said. "That's … umm, thank you."

"You're welcome," Sheppard said easily as Grodin smiled and left the infirmary.

The next day McKay sat on the edge of the infirmary bed impatiently waiting for Sheppard. He was still wearing a set of red scrubs and sat swinging his bare feet. Sheppard was supposed to be bringing him some clothes and was late. The cut on his hand was healing to the point he didn't need a full wrap on it anymore, just a series of steri-strips. The bruise on his face has changed from the shade of purple-black that made people shudder to the greenish-yellow that just made them wince and the swelling had finally gone down enough he could see out of both eyes again, but the sling was a problem. He hated being forced to do everything left-handed, eating was a challenge and he still didn't quite have the hang of it. Anything involving a keyboard was going to be a slow process of hunt and peck he was sure unless he found a way to ditch the sling altogether. This was all assuming someone would come with his clothes so he could leave.

"Major Sheppard had a meeting with Doctor Weir," Beckett explained and stopped Rodney's hand as it moved to the sling. "And leave that alone."

"It's chafing my neck and it hurts," McKay whined and started to adjust the sling again.

Beckett slapped at his hand and McKay glared back. "And your arm will hurt a lot worse if you try taking it off, so let it be," Carson retorted completely nonplussed by the glare.

"I just hope Sheppard remembers to bring a shirt with a collar," McKay groused and looked toward the door again.

Ten minutes later Sheppard entered the infirmary, a small bag in his hand, and a wide grin on his face. "Ready to get out of here, McKay?" Sheppard asked as he dropped the bag on the bed.

"More than ready, what took you so long?" McKay groused as he picked up the bag one-handed.

"Had to arrange with Teyla and Ford to meet us in the mess hall for lunch," Sheppard replied. "Wanna join us, Doc?" Sheppard finished as Beckett walked up with a different sling in his hand.

"What's that for?" McKay asked as he pushed off the bed to go change.

"This is one of the conditions of your release, Rodney," Beckett said and set the sling down on the bed. "Go get changed and I'll explain when you get back."

"You want some help?" Sheppard asked softly as McKay walked past. Rodney shook his head and went behind the curtain in the corner.

It took twice as long as normal to get dressed, the buttons on the shirt were especially problematic, but he eventually came back out from the curtain wearing trousers and thankfully a shirt with a collar. He slid a bit on the infirmary floor in his socks and he wasn't sure how he was going to tie his boots.

Beckett helped him get the new sling on, ignoring the grumbling and hisses of pain, then showed Sheppard how it buckled behind Rodney's neck and at the middle of his back. "Make sure you get the straps crossed when you get it on him," Beckett explained from behind McKay's back. "The idea is he won't be able to get it off one-handed, if you understand me, Major."

Rodney saw Sheppard nod and his temper flared. "Hey, I'm right here," he said and glared at each in turn.

"Yes, you are, Rodney, and if you don't want to end up back here, you will listen," Beckett said seriously.

"Fine, I'm listening," McKay said and pulled at the new strap around his neck.

"As I said, you will need someone to help you get that on and off," Beckett said and stood back. "To that end, Major Sheppard has agreed to meet you at your lab or in your quarters each evening at nine o'clock to help you with it before bed. He will be back no earlier than eight-thirty in the morning to do the same." He gave each of them a significant look and Sheppard nodded again.

Rodney started to protest but Beckett held up a hand. "Those are the conditions, Rodney. You and I both know you will remove a normal sling the first time it gets in your way. If you want that shoulder to heal properly, you need to give it time. As for the curfew, your body is still healing, no working from nine at night to nine in the morning."

"You said eight-thirty," Rodney pointed out.

"Yes, you need time to eat in the morning. And a proper breakfast at that, not coffee and a power bar."

McKay started to argue but Sheppard stepped forward, a hand on McKay's good arm. "Come on, McKay, Teyla and Ford are waiting and if you don't leave now, Doc's gonna change his mind." He looked over at Beckett. "Sure you don't want to come?" he asked as he bent down to help McKay put on his shoes. McKay accepted the help without a second thought as he pulled at the strap again.

"Thanks all the same, but I need to get my infirmary back in order," Beckett said with a smile.

"Come on, I'm hungry," Sheppard said as he stood and ushered McKay to freedom.

They entered the mess hall at the height of the lunch rush and McKay winced more than once as his arm was bumped and banged in the jostle of people. They finally made their way through the line and stood looking around.

"Over there," Sheppard gestured with his head, his hands full carrying both trays.

McKay spotted their waiting teammates and led the way through the crowded tables his left hand guarding his right arm. Once again he felt eyes following him and glanced around, he wondered what people were saying about him now.

They made it to the table in a corner and Sheppard motioned him to take the chair against the wall, Sheppard set down the two trays and sat beside him, Ford on his other side and Teyla faced him. It took McKay a moment to figure out what they'd done. They'd situated themselves so he was surrounded on three sides by his team and a wall to his back. Thinking back to the night they'd spent by the lake, they had done the same thing, he'd been protected on three sides by his team with a wall on the fourth. Why hadn't he noticed that at the time? he wondered.

"So how long are you in the sling?" Ford asked and McKay noticed he wasn't pausing in the middle of his sentences anymore.

"A month, if I'm lucky," McKay answered and awkwardly picked up his fork left-handed.

Ford nodded. "That's about how long before Doctor Beckett signs off on me as well. Bit of a strange coincidence, if you ask me."

"You believe Doctor Beckett is exaggerating the extent of your injuries, Lieutenant?" Teyla asked as she started eating.

"Nah." Ford smiled. "He's just not going to give either of us an excuse get back out there early."

"So what do we do for a month?" McKay asked no one in particular as he tried to get peas rounded up on his fork.

"Well," Sheppard drawled. "Ford can work on duty rosters for the next month." Ford groaned and Sheppard grinned.

"And Teyla can start working on her training plan for you," he added to McKay with a wicked grin.

"Wait, what? What training plan?" He gave up on the peas and stabbed at the mashed potatoes instead.

"Hand-to-hand, McKay. You need to be able to defend yourself."

McKay huffed indignantly. "That's what you said about the gun, Major. How often do you think you can reuse that same excuse?"

"As often as I need to," Sheppard told him seriously and McKay backed down when he saw that same sincere look in the Major's eye as when they'd talked about lesson two and no one ever left behind.

Rodney saw Teyla give them a knowing look and a contented smile but before he could ask her about it Sheppard continued. "Then once you and Ford are ready, we'll try the field trip again. We still need to get some of that fruit Teyla told us about."

"Oh, no. No more camping on that planet, Major," McKay said and dropped his fork.

Teyla looked pleased with the idea. Ford was unsure. Sheppard just laughed.

FIN

Chaguo ndugu in Swahili means 'brother of choice'