Chapter 9.

Well, here's the final chapter. Thanks, as ever, to my betas, Merlin and Kodiak. You two really are the best.

The first thing Sheppard was aware of was an annoying, repetitive beep. What the hell was that irritating sound? Trying to remember what had happened, he fought to pry his eyes open, succeeding in cracking one open one to a slit, the other swiftly following. A face swam above him, but he couldn't focus on it. Closing his eyes, the colonel re-opened them, trying again. Someone was saying something to him; the words not making sense to his addled brain.

Sheppard started to ask where he was, but all that he could manage was a grunt. Realising something was in his throat, fear gripped him and he began to struggle, gagging Whatever it was; he had to remove it before he suffocated. Sheppard shakily raised his hand to his face, only to feel a warm hand on his, firmly pulling his hand to his side. Looking up he recognised McKay, telling him to calm down. Panic overtook him and he began to struggle more. Hearing a familiar Scottish brogue, Sheppard looked up and saw Beckett this time, telling him something. Ventilator? Ah, that explained a lot. Just take it the hell out, was all Sheppard could think. Suddenly, he felt his body go lax, a warm, foggy feeling enveloping him, eyelids drooping, he surrendered once more to the enticing darkness.

-oOo-

Sheppard's next visit to consciousness was smoother. The beeping was still there, but there was another repetitive sound present now. He tried to take make sense of what had happened. Images flashed into his mind. The storm, Marrin and Jamos, the ladder. He'd fallen and - ouch, his arm. What about his leg; was it still there? He looked down across the off-white blanket, and saw its outline. Heaving a sigh of relief, he absent-mindedly wondered why he couldn't feel much pain.

Hazy visions of Teyla caring for him, then McKay, appeared in Sheppard's foggy mind. Then the memory of the ventilator flashed into his memory, and the desperate struggle to breathe. Sheppard was delighted to feel it's intrusive presence absent. Moving his hand to his face, he felt tubing, and suddenly felt the dryness in his nostrils from the nasal canular, delivering precious oxygen.

Gathering what strength he could muster, Sheppard opened his eyes, trying to focus on the source of the noises. Ah, the first one was a heart monitor. No surprise there. The second was McKay, frantically typing at his laptop.

"M'Kay," Sheppard whispered, shocked at the hoarseness of his voice, and wincing at the burn in his throat, he looked over at the ever busy scientist.

The man in question stopped typing and jerked his head up; Sheppard watched as the steel-blue eyes fixed on him. "Hey. You're awake. Hang on, let me get Beckett. He's probably reading up on sheep again." With that McKay ran off, quickly returning with Carson Beckett on his heels.

"So, you've decided to join us. How are you feeling, Colonel?" Beckett's warm voice flooded the infirmary.

Sheppard swallowed, preparing to answer, but a tickle in his dry throat caused him to cough. As his body jerked from the exertion of that simple reflex, the pain he hadn't been feeling previously returned with a vengeance, overwhelmed him; he slumped into his pillow, groaning.

Immediately, Beckett moved to Sheppard's side and pressed the lever to raise the head of the bed slightly. "Easy now, lad. That's it. Try and breathe slowly." He gently soothed his patient, while signalling a nurse, who, hearing the commotion had briskly walked over. "Melissa, can you bring the colonel some ice chips, lass?" he asked. Melissa smiled at the doctor, nodding her head in reply, already moving to retrieve them.

After letting Sheppard suck on a few pieces of crushed ice, Beckett searched his patient's face. He registered the beads of sweat on the colonel's forehead, and the pained expression on his face. Taking a syringe from the pocket of his lab coat, he swiftly injected the contents into a port in one of Sheppard's IV lines.

"That should make you feel a little better, I hope. Shall we try again?" he asked his patient. "How are you feeling, Colonel?"

Sheppard looked into the doctor's eyes, managing to grind out, "Been better, Doc."

"Aye, I'd imagine you have, lad. How's the pain now?"

The colonel considered the doctor's question, while inwardly assessing his pain. "I'm good," was all he could come up with. His throat burned, his wrist ached and his leg; he was beginning to wish that wasn't still there. All things considered, he felt like hell.

Beckett eyed his patient critically, muttering, "Somehow I don't quite believe you."

McKay blustered forward. "You're not going to throw up again, are you? I think I've witnessed as much vomiting as I can tolerate in the last few days."

Sheppard grimaced, turning his head to look at the scientist. "Yeah, sorry about that."

He really wasn't in the mood to discuss the fact that his cookies had been tossed about quite a lot recently, but he thought an apology was in order.

"Yeah, well don't fall off any ladders again, and I'll forgive you." McKay managed a small smile, but Sheppard couldn't help but notice the underlying concern present in the scientist's face.

Sheppard moved his gaze to Beckett, and simply asked, "So, Doc, what's the damage this time?"

Beckett sighed, "You've messed your leg up pretty good, I'm afraid. We'll talk about that later. Your wrist is a fairly simple break, thank goodness. The damage to your hands was superficial." The doctor appeared to be considering his words carefully, Sheppard noticed. He looked into Beckett's eyes, as the doctor continued. "You had us a little worried there for a while. The wound in your leg became infected unusually quickly. Things got a little hairy, though there's no need to worry now. You're healing really well." Beckett smiled reassuringly at Sheppard, patting his arm.

"'Kay," was all Sheppard could manage, as he considered the implications of the doctor's words. He was beginning to feel exhaustion creeping in, and closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer.

"Get some rest, lad. We'll talk some more when you're feeling a bit better…" were the last words he heard before he succumbed to the sweet pull of sleep.

-oOo-

Sheppard sat up in his bed, and sighed. The last week and a half had been exhausting – and frustrating. His broken arm meant he couldn't take care of his basic needs very easily, and he tired incredibly quickly. Physical therapy had started the previous day on his healing leg, and he was shocked at the weakness, and pain, left from his injury. Regular visits from Elizabeth, McKay and the rest of the team had cheered him up, but he had to admit, he was desperate to get out of the infirmary. He'd asked Beckett several times when he could escape Alcatraz, to be told, rather firmly by an irrate Beckett, "Not bloody yet, so stop asking, Colonel."

Sheppard could tell that everybody around him was aware of his frustration. However, that didn't make him feel any better, quite the opposite, in fact. Sheppard knew he'd let everyone down. How embarrassing to fall off a ladder and nearly die! For most of his career he'd felt like a screw up anyway, and for this to happen was humiliating to say the least.

As he sat there brooding, he was distracted from his thoughts by McKay entering the infirmary and sauntering over to his bed. "And how are we today, Colonel?" the scientist brightly asked. Sheppard hated it when McKay tried to be cheerful, and, God, pleasant. It went against every bone in the man's body to be cordial, and if Sheppard were honest, he preferred snarky, pain in the ass McKay any day.

"Would you stop being so nice, Rodney. I'm not going to break, you know. Why is everybody being so…so," Sheppard wrestled to find the right word.

"Pleasant?" McKay helpfully supplied.

Sheppard studied his friend, answering, "Yeah, pleasant. Listen, can you help me break out for a while? I've just got to get out of here. I'm going nuts, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," McKay sympathetically answered. "Atilla is unlikely to let his guard down anytime soon. However, I am a genius, and as it happens I already have a plan," McKay smugly informed the colonel, looking down at his watch.

Sheppard looked incredulously at the boastful man. "You do?"

"Oh yes. In, five, four, three, two, one…" McKay was interrupted by a call sounding over the p.a. system, informing Dr.Beckett to report to the 'jumper bay immediately. As Beckett rushed away, McKay tapped his earpiece whispering, "Ok. Now."

Zelenka ran in with a wheelchair, and he and McKay carefully helped Sheppard into the chair, covering him with a blanket. McKay thanked Zelenka, and practically ran out of the infirmary, pushing Sheppard in the direction of the nearest balcony.

McKay huffed and puffed, as he pushed the wheelchair through the open doors, parking Sheppard by the railings, so the man could look out across the city and out at the sea. Sheppard took in a deep breath, and looked out over Atlantis, the only place he had ever really felt at home. He then turned his head to look at McKay, simply saying, "Thanks, McKay."

Sheppard saw the scientist's thoughtful expression, and knew what was coming.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on? Or do we have to play twenty questions?" Short and to the point, that was the McKay Sheppard knew and loved.

"I just had to get out of there, Rodney. I feel like an animal in the zoo. On parade. Everybody being nice to me, feeling sorry for me…laughing at me…" Sheppard abruptly stopped, no longer able to continue.

McKay took in a deep breath, and Sheppard prepared himself for the oncoming onslaught. "You're right. People are being nice. They do keep looking at you. They probably feel sorry for you too. I don't, of course. Your own stupid fault if you ask me. I mean, death by ladder, hell from home improvement? Take your pick, they're all pretty stupid, aren't they?" Sheppard's jaw dropped open, surprised at McKay's tone. McKay continued, " You know what? Nobody's laughing, Sheppard. Not me, nor Teyla and Ronon. Elizabeth? Do you think she thinks this is funny? If you had seen her surreptitiously wiping her eyes when she first saw you, I'd think not. What about Beckett? I bet he was laughing as he operated on you for three hours, trying to stop you from bleeding to death…"

Sheppard knew McKay was on a roll now, and shrunk back into the wheelchair, waiting for more. "Oh, and let's not forget him re-starting your heart after you decided to code on him. That was hysterical. You had an accident. It wasn't your fault. We nearly lost you and it was so stupid and unnecessary, but it happened. So get over it!" McKay finished his little speech, leaning heavily on the balcony railing, exhausted from his exertion.

Sheppard smiled, and then chuckled, finally breaking out into a full blown laugh.

When he couldn't laugh anymore, his sides aching, Sheppard looked up at McKay, to find the man quizically looking at him. "Thanks, Rodney. I needed a good kick in the ass."

"Yes you did," McKay honestly answered. "You okay now. No more moping?"

Sheppard regarded his friend, and licked his lips, answering, "Yeah. I'm good. Maybe I just needed to vent a little frustration there…" He stopped and gazed out at the ocean. After a moment he continued, "I feel like such an idiot. I nearly died because of an accident. I always thought I'd go out with a bang, not in such a…a…an ordinary way. Just a bit of a wake up call, I guess." Sheppard shrugged.

"Well, you didn't die. You're here, and you're going to be fine. Ok?" McKay snorted, before continuing. "Besides, don't worry. I'd have made sure Elizabeth told everyone you died heroically…saving children." McKay laughed, remembering his own brush with death at the hands of the nanovirus.

Sheppard chuckled. "You'd do that for me? I'm touched, Rodney."

"Yes, well. You know me. Always thoughtful and considerate," McKay stated.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "Yep, that's you, Rodney."

McKay released the brake from the wheelchair, and started to back Sheppard away from the railing. "Time to go. Beckett'll be coming back soon, cursing and swearing and trying to figure out who called him to the 'jumper bay. So…"

Sheppard groaned. "Back to solitary, I guess."

McKay stopped, walked in front of the wheelchair and looked down at Sheppard smirking. "I'm afraid so. Hey, I forgot to tell you. When we get back to the infirmary we're going to play a board game I managed to get."

"Yeah?" Sheppard asked, cheering up a little. "Which one?"

McKay looked Sheppard in the eye and grinned, before walking behind him and continuing to push the wheelchair. "Snakes and ladders, of course".

The end