COULD BE WORSE - by NotTasha
here we go! Thank you for your patience. It's time for the conclusion to this little story

CHAPTER 17: BETTER

Rodney felt better. Not that he was truly feeling anything in particular, but now there was a connection. He could hear!

He'd never realized how much he enjoyed hearing things. Of course, it wasn't as good as seeing, or using his hands, but it was a hell of a lot better than nothing.

Things were getting better.

He was getting better. He had no doubts. He just had to keep trying – keep trying. Someday he'd be able to move and type and work and be a part of the team again.

People were around him and it was good to hear them. There was a time when he'd get annoyed with people talking all the time, interrupting his important thoughts. But he'd been thinking long enough. And there always seemed to be someone nearby, filling in the darkness with sound. Didn't they have anything better to do?

It was nice. He didn't' have to work so hard at keeping his mind active.

And when they weren't talking, someone played movies that he knew almost by heart. He could zone out and just relax as he listened, and replayed the images that went with the words.

And sometimes there was music. Some of it too quiet and slow to hold his attention, but sometimes the music was lively and familiar. Once, someone played a concerto he'd learned in his youth and for a moment he was stunned by it, remembering every chord and every note. It filled him with a strange longing, a dreadful sadness as he recalled what he had lost. The music stopped and it wasn't played again.

People came, they stayed, they talked, filling the blackness and he soaked it in, wanting to respond to them, wanting to put in a word or two. He yearned to interact.

He felt alive. And he felt better and he knew it was only a matter of time. It was as if someone had thrown him a lifeline.

Any moment now, he thought, any moment and I'll be able to open my eyes again. And he tried. It was hard. His eyelids felt as if they were weighted with lead. It was hard as hell, but he tried nonetheless.

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It was late and the lights were dim in the infirmary. Sheppard was sitting in the chair beside the bed, watching "Bullitt" on the DVD player.

He was getting tired of the silence – the silence from Rodney. It hurt to see him so still, to know that he was still in there – listening now, but trapped and alone. John just wanted to talk to him -- to talk and hear a response, because it just wasn't right without McKay's snappy retorts.

It pissed him off knowning that Rodney might be lost to them, that something as stupid as a lizard bite might still be able to take him away. He hated this. He hated this situation with all of his being. What if Rodney never progressed past this point? What if this was the best they were going to expect? Sheppard refused to believe that.

It was just too unfair.

He'd miss Rodney too much. Sheppard was always a congenial man, quick to make acquaintance with people -- the freakin' life of a party. The thing was, he had few true friends. It wasn't as if people didn't try. It was as if everyone wanted to be his best pal. He was certain that a dozen or so people believed that they were just that. But few, very few people ever really attained that position.

The movie was in the middle of the big car chase, when there was no real dialog, just screeching wheels and pounding music. And Sheppard smiled slightly, enjoying the mindlessness of it. Sheppard could probably recreate the movie entirely in his sleep.

His head nodded, telling how weary he was, but Rodney was awake, and he owed it to him to keep him entertained.

It felt, for a moment, like someone was watching him.

Sheppard turned toward the infirmary entrance, and found it empty, then scanned the room. Claire, the night nurse, was at her desk in the next room. He could just barely see her there, flipping pages on a magazine. John frowned. He must have imagined the sensation, and turned to look at Rodney.

Amazed, tired blue eyes gazed toward him. Rodney looked at him for only a second, perhaps not even realizing that Sheppard had turned to face him, then he blinked and his gaze shifted to take in the screen on the DVD player.

Rodney!

Sheppard just watched Rodney, watching those eyes that watched the action on the screen. McKay's face seemed to twitch a little, as if muscles were finally responding, as if maybe he was trying to smile. He blinked, as if trying to blink away a week of sleep. It was a slow motion, as if even opening his eyes took effort.

Rodney, perhaps realizing he was being observed, gazed toward Sheppard again. They just looked at each other a moment, as Sheppard tried to think of something to say. He couldn't speak. He couldn't do anything. It was if he was frozen, afraid that if he moved quickly or said something too fast, the moment would pass and Rodney would just close his eyes and go away again.

Rodney's eyes stayed open. He was trying to talk, but his mouth just wouldn't move yet -- but that was okay.

"Bullitt," Sheppard said. And Rodney's eyes rolled, letting John know he was an idiot for pointing that out.

Sheppard smiled at that reaction. "Just getting to the good part," he added, as he leaned closer and turned the screen so that Rodney could get a better look.

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Sheppard was halfway through his lunch when a lurching shape entered the mess hall.

"Rodney!" he gestured to the shuffling scientist. "Over here!"

McKay stalled for a moment, found them in the crowd, and then made his way unsteadily through the crowd to the table that Sheppard and Teyla had staked out.

"Keller let you out?" Sheppard asked as he finished his Salisbury steak.

"Earlier this morning," McKay responded.

"Guess she was right," Sheppard added. "Soon as your head started working, the rest of you would perk right up."

Rodney smiled and pointed to his head. "It is my most important part," he responded and walked stiffly and seemed about to fall on his face with every step, but he made it to the table. He smiled in triumph at his accomplishment as he sunk into a chair.

"You should have told us that you were released, Rodney," Teyla gently scolded. "Dr. Keller should have informed us at least."

"After two weeks, she's seen enough of you," McKay said with a sigh. "Why else would she have banned you yesterday?"

"So you could sleep?" Sheppard reminded.

Rodney waves a hand. "Yeah, fine. But I'm done with that and she sent me to my quarters."

Teyla told him, "One of us would have come for you, and ensured you reached your room."

Rodney made a face and shrugged. "I could manage it." He leaned his face on his hands as he propped elbows on the table as if it was too hard to hold up his head on his own. "And I think you've wasted enough time already."

"Yeah, it was getting a bit dull in the infirmary," Sheppard admitted. "At least we brought our own entertainment."

"Hmmm," McKay responded, closing his eyes. He raised one hand to rub distractedly at one of the healing bite marks on his face. He still looked fairly horrible, but at least he was moving, at least expression had returned to his face. And, at the moment, he looked tired, but content.

"Dr. Keller instructed you to stay in your room, did she not?" Teyla asked leadingly.

"I did stay in my room," McKay responded sharply. "I stayed long enough to take a shower and change into some fresh clothing. I mean, hospital scrubs are okay for only so long. And hospital food is great, but Keller doesn't believe in seconds. She has serious issues with coffee rationing." He opened his eyes and considered the food on Sheppard's tray.

"And so, instead of staying in put, you came here?" Sheppard asked.

"It was boring being alone in my room, and I was hungry." Much too slowly, McKay moved an arm and managed to pull a biscuit from Sheppard's tray. John raised an eyebrow in response as Ronon arrived at the table.

"Got to be quicker than that to get anything from me," Ronon warned him as he dropped a laden tray to the table.

"Fine," Rodney responded. "Keller says I should be 100 percent by tomorrow… or maybe the next day."

"If you ever were 100 percent to begin with," Sheppard taunted and Ronon snorted.

"At least I always kept my wits about me," Rodney said, "My brain never quit. Well, it did go a little haywire for a while… but I managed after I figured out how to do it." He chewed the biscuit. At least his mouth was in full working order.

Sheppard sighed, thinking, that must have sucked. He didn't know if he could have handled the same circumstances.

Rodney frowned, realizing that Sheppard was looking at him, and flexed his hands slowly. "Now, if I can just get THESE to work correctly for me, I can get some real work done. I have so many ideas floating around in here." He tapped the side of his head. "And that voice recognition software kinda sucks. Do you have any idea how slow I have to talk to make it half-understand me?"

Sheppard snatched up his remaining biscuit, glad that the greedy-handed physicist hadn't found it yet. "Yeah, you had plenty of time for thinking, didn't you?"

"You have no idea," Rodney responded, his voice low and distracted. "But the time was put to good use, and once I've had a chance to record everything that I cooked up, the city will be running more efficiently than ever, you can mark my words. So, in the long run, my 'thought tank' time was a benefit to everyone, right?"

Sheppard said nothing for a moment, watching McKay's proud expression, yet seeing a marked sadness there, too. "You remember much about what happened?" John asked. "On the planet, with the robot and the… lizards."

Rodney grimaced at the mention and his face went a little blank. He swallowed what biscuit was left in his mouth. "Yeah," he said softly.

Sheppard was about to speak, but Ronon, settling himself in his seat, broke the mood with a quick, "You owe me a new coat."

"What?" McKay sputtered.

"You ruined my coat," Ronon reminded.

"I had nothing to do with that!" McKay snapped. "You were the one who took it off and left it on me. It's your fault that the little bastards ate it."

"He's got you there," Sheppard put in.

"Besides, you owe ME a coat," McKay returned.

Ronon leaned heavily on the table. "How do you figure that?"

"You promised to get one for me," Rodney said with a smile, looking much too pleased with himself.

"You did," Sheppard reminded the Satedan.

"I heard the promise as well," Teyla added, smiling at Dex. "You mentioned something about finding such a coat in size 'tiny'."

Ronon grumbled and picked up his knife and fork as he regarded his well-filled food tray.

"And I am not tiny," McKay groused.

Sheppard nodded, repeating, "Not tiny." And Ronon rolled a shoulder and nodded in agreement.

McKay scowled at them, then exclaimed, "Hey, can someone get me something to eat?" He looked from one of his teammates to another. "Because it was a long walk here and I don't think I could handle the tray, and Keller wouldn't serve me any more. Ronon?"

Ronon grunted. "Sheppard can do it. I just sat down."

"He's already eating and you haven't started," McKay badgered.

Sheppard stabbed a fork into his mashed potatoes. "I'm eating," he stated.

"Teyla's not doing anything," Ronon pointed out.

"Yes, but she has a broken arm," Rodney said, gesturing to the Athosian. "How's she supposed to manage the tray?"

Teyla smiled, and gamely pointed to the injured arm.

Ronon glared, then, grumbling, he dropped his flatware with a clatter and pushed himself up from the table. "Fine," he mumbled and strode toward the back of the line.

"Can you get me double dessert?" McKay called after him.

Ronon grumbled all the more.

McKay smiled at the response and, once Ronon's back was turned, he reached out to pull the full tray across the table. It took a little more effort than it should have, but he managed it, and positioned it in front of himself.

Teyla and Sheppard watched with amused expressions.

"He's going to kill you, McKay," Sheppard told the Canadian as he started in on Ronon's dinner.

"Nope," Rodney replied, and then jammed a bit of Salisbury steak into his mouth. "I'm still sick, and people have to be nice to sick people. Hey, he can keep whatever he gets for me." He gestured with the fork. " Serves him right if he gets crap. Ooo! Corn bread!"

Sheppard sighed and shook his head, and hoped Rodney didn't end up back in the infirmary when Ronon returned. After finishing his last few bites, Sheppard pushed his tray away and asked, "So, you were going to talk to your guys and find out what that robot was for."

"Yeah." McKay finished his mouthful before he said, "They were able to find something in the database. Seems there was an entire underground complex built at that site -- a total of thirteen rooms, linked with passageways. Apparently, the connecting hallways were sealed up at some point."

"Thirteen rooms?" Sheppard asked. "Does that means there were thirteen of those robots down there?"

McKay nodded as he opened the lid of a Jello cup and started shoving gooey gelatin goodness. "Yup," he said between slurps. "Thirteen clinking, clanking, clattering collections of caliginous junk, all waiting to be unearthed."

Teyla puzzled a moment and then asked, "Why were they created?"

"Yeah, that robot seemed kind of… low tech… for our Ancient friends," Sheppard commented.

McKay nodded as he struggled to hang onto the fork. "Yes, but, they had to start somewhere. Doherty figures that the Osoyoos and his friends are probably all very early attempts at robotics."

"So why make them?" Sheppard asked.

Pausing between bites, McKay told them, "From what we were able to discover, they were meant to be used against the Wraith."

"Huh," Sheppard responded. "You don't say?"

McKay nodded, diving into the potatoes. "The idea was, the robots were to be sent inside Hive ships to destroy the control centers and shut down the ships."

Teyla nodded. "And because the machines are not human, they would not be affected by the Wraith stunners and could not be fed upon."

"Yeah, fine, I got that," Sheppard replied. "But who the hell thought that Giant Psychic Killer Robots were a good idea?"

McKay grinned. "Because, an Ancient with the proper ring, who was otherwise incapacitated by the Wraith stunners, could activate it. Someone, cocooned in the Hive could control the robot and get it to do their bidding."

"But they never used them for this purpose," Teyla surmised.

"Too much noise," McKay replied, flipping a free hand near his head. "The robots worked fine if only one ring-wearer was around. That was the reason they used the rings. But you get two such people in one place and the cross-signals would drive the robots batty. Who's going to refrain from trying to activate their salvation when you're on a Hive ship? The robots would revert to their main programming when overloaded."

"Which explains the smashing and destroying," Sheppard concluded, rubbing his head.

McKay sat up and asked, "Was it cool?"

"What, the robot?" Sheppard responded, curiously.

"Yes, the robot. When it was smashing things. Was it cool?" Rodney's eyes lit up a little as he spoke. "Because you never said, and I really wished I could have seen it."

Sheppard gave a wry chuckle and nodded, having to admit. "Yeah, the smashing was kinda cool." But after quick glance to Teyla, he amended the statement with, "Up until a point."

The Athosian, smiled, forgiving him, and asked Rodney, "Why did the Ancestors create it to resemble a human? If it was purely a device for destroying a Wraith Hive, surely there are more efficient shapes."

Rodney shrugged. "The Ancients liked to make things 'pretty'," he tried. "And they're mighty proud with their own 'humanoid' shape…so…"

"Okay, fine," Sheppard conceded. "If they were so pleased with it, why was that thing in the underground vault?"

McKay shrugged again as he moved onto the green beans. "The Ancients probably wanted to put them someplace out of the way, someplace where they could be unearthed again if needed. They weren't so far down to begin with. That area floods every 500 years or so. The sediment built up. Maybe someone should tell those locals about that, huh? You know, the possibility of flooding."

Sheppard shrugged. Not caring. "The planet was unoccupied at the time. The Ancients didn't count on anyone finding the rings and using them as status symbols," Sheppard figured. "Or that they'd start digging things up."

"And they probably decided that the skahas would deter any settlement," Teyla added.

"Yeah," Sheppard agreed. He looked up sharply, and asked, "So, I get the part about the smashing, but why the hell did that thing grab hold of Teyla and run riot with her through the factory?"

Teyla sat back slightly at the reminder.

McKay shrugged. "One of the ring wearers probably wished he could do it," he responded, and then looked toward Teyla with a grin. "You might have a secret admirer among the Bankiers."

Teyla frowned and colored a little. "I believe it might have been Solly," she muttered. "He seemed unduly interested in me during our interview."

An enraged howl went up from somewhere near the food line. Everyone in the cafeteria froze in fear as one Satedan come barreling toward the table, set to kill, and balancing a tray filled with food and two chocolate cakes.

McKay, having devastated Ronon's tray, turned a little pale and uttered a strangled, "He won't really hurt me, will he?"

"We'll see," Sheppard responded as Ronon reached their table, slamming into it hard enough to make it skitter.

Dex smashed down the tray and snarled viciously in Rodney's face as he yanked his own tray away from the scientist. There was little left though. With a growl, Ronon dropped in front of himself, beside the other tray.

"Last time!" Ronon snapped as he took his seat again. "Last time you get away with that!"

Rodney, looking like he dodged a bullet, sighed deeply and returned to leaning his head in his hands. The four sat in silence as Ronon supped. Sheppard was content just to sit back and enjoy the quiet moment with his team. He'd missed these times. Nothing had felt right during those two awful weeks, and now...

"Say," McKay said sleepily, "Since you have two chocolate cakes…"

Ronon growled in return. McKay looked hurt. Teyla smiled.

It was good, Sheppard decided. He'd missed this.

"Oh, come on," McKay whined. "You're not going to eat both of the cakes." Ronon cupped his free hand around the bounty to protect it.

Sheppard laughed. Things couldn't be better.

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THE END Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. They have been awesome! You guys are fantastic and I feel just overwhelmed by all the wonderful feedback.

And now... I will reveal the challenge that started this story. I asked five different people to supply me with one element of the story, and this is what I was given:

Setting: Autumn in New England. Pre, during or post industrial revolution
Prop (must be important to the story): A ring
Five Words: Robot, Trap, Explosion, Deadline, Spleen
Action (event that must occur during the story): two people running into one other full force
Adversary (someone/something that causes problems for our heroes): Lizards

And from that, this story was hatched. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again