Disclaimer: "Stargate" and all related characters are the property of MGM Television Entertainment. I do, however, own an evil muse…

Rating: K+

Setting: Late Season 5

Summary: What's up with Rodney? Why has he stopped complaining about things? He gets injured during an offworld mission and John has to keep him alive while they wait to be rescued. He decides it's high time for a long talk with his friend.

Sunset

"Are you with us, McKay?" Sheppard asked from where he was walking behind the rest of his team.

Not for the first time during the mission, the scientist had started to veer off the path as he kept his head tilted down towards the ground. He looked up with a slightly bewildered expression as he glanced back at Sheppard.

"Hmm, did you say something?"

Sheppard could not stop the involuntary frown which creased his brow. His voice lowered to a mutter so that Ronon and Teyla, who were a little way ahead, would not hear, "I said, are you with us?"

Rodney looked confused and then nodded slowly, "Yes."

Sheppard could not help noticing the way Rodney's voice was low and sad. The scientist needed to keep focused though, as they were offworld and danger could potentially find them at any moment.

Rodney furrowed his brow and sighed. He then turned around and dragged his feet as he traipsed after the others.

The silence on the hour long hike towards the location of the energy reading detected by the MALP had been downright unnatural and highly unsettling. No comments or complaints ever passed from McKay's lips. All that could be heard was the crunching of four pairs of feet on the path and the occasional soft hitch in Rodney's breath as he frowned down at either the scanner or his feet.

Sheppard walked up alongside him and prompted, "And the energy reading?"

Rodney glanced down at the scanner held tightly in his hand and waved off ahead of them on the tree lined path, "Oh, um, over there." He then looked down at the ground again and rubbed his forehead with his eyes closed.

Sheppard frowned. This was not the first time in the last few days that his friend had seemed distant and preoccupied. It was one thing on Atlantis, but out in the field their lives depended on each other and if something was wrong they would need to head back or the mission could be compromised.

Sheppard grabbed Rodney's upper arm and he jumped and looked up with an accusing glare. John saw that Rodney was tired as his eyes were slightly bloodshot and framed by faint black circles. Rodney yanked his arm away from Sheppard's grip and increased his walking speed to get away.

John asked under his breath, "What's wrong, McKay?"

Rodney breathed out heavily and waved the Colonel off. He said, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," but his expressive face gave away the lie when he grimaced.

John was about to speak again, when Teyla up ahead called back to them, "I believe we have arrived."

John raised his eyebrows at Rodney, who looked down at the scanner and simply nodded. All the enthusiasm was gone. Not a trace of excitement or the usual animation that the scientist was prone to when new discoveries were close passed out of him. His body remained static, but his eyes were full of sorrow.

John felt his anger giving way to concern, as Rodney stalked off to join Ronon and Teyla.

John shook his head and walked over to join his team. They had come to a crossroad. The path was man made and of a high quality considering the usual paths in the Pegasus Galaxy consisted of only mud where the grass and plants had been cleared away. Instead, gravel had been laid down and it looked like the edges had only begun to crumble away fairly recently.

Rodney was looking around in disinterest, but Teyla and Ronon were more alert for trouble. Teyla said, "This planet was culled several generations ago. My people visited then and occasionally come to see if there were any survivors, but we never found anyone here."

Rodney held out his scanner holding hand and indicated the right path. He said, "The energy reading is coming from a short distance along this path. Probably in that building there."

John stepped around and saw the block of grey concrete reaching into the sky just above the tops of the trees along the path and nodded.

Rodney then turned around and pointed at the left path, "There's a smaller structure that way. No energy reading though."

John made his decision quickly, "Ronon, Teyla, go left. McKay, you're with me."

He thought that if he could get the scientist alone, he would be more willing to open up and reveal what was bothering him so much.

There was no comeback and Rodney merely sighed again, his whole chest heaving with the motion and started to walk up the path. John shared a brief look with the others as they both frowned at Rodney's hunched back. He shrugged and turned to keep a careful watch over his charge as they investigated the secrets of the planet they were on.

Sheppard walked ahead of McKay as they went inside the rundown remains of a small warehouse which they had soon reached after parting ways with Teyla and Ronon.

John looked around the interior, carefully checking it over for hazards. He had his P90 raised and his finger on the trigger, but nothing immediately jumped out at him. The walls were the same concrete colour as on the outside of the building. Smashed windows around the top of the building close to the ceiling let in enough light to see without having to use the flashlights. John's eyes tracked up the rickety staircase leading to a second level.

The warehouse was empty and he turned around to see Rodney was staring at the steps. He expected a remark about the health hazard or how dull the light was or the primitive building work. He just wanted to hear a comment coming from his friend, some reaction to show that he was alright.

He was met with only the same silence as earlier. Rodney rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and released a shuddering breath.

Sheppard prodded, "Come on, McKay. Say something."

Rodney shot him a confused and tired look and then pointed up the stairs, "The reading's coming from up there."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. Rodney had at least started to concentrate on what he was doing. John did not know how long it was going to last though.

McKay rushed past him and before Sheppard could stop him, he jogged up the stairs without a hesitation or flinch as they creaked under his weight.

John stepped more carefully and soon joined him on the second level. The warehouse spread out below him when he looked down the steps. He spun around and grabbed Rodney's arm as he threatened to approach a small glowing sphere on the floor in the corner of the level.

He increased the pressure on the soft flesh under his fingers and Rodney hissed as he turned around. He almost shouted, "What?"

Sheppard was taken aback at the new flicker of rage passing over McKay's face. The scientist muttered, "Let's just get this over with and then we can go back, shall we?"

His voice was every bit as harsh as his words and Sheppard kept his speech even as he asked, "Seriously, McKay, what's going on?"

Rodney frowned and the anger remained simmering below the surface and threatening to boil over as he said dangerously, "I don't think this is the best time, Sheppard."

"On the contrary; this is the only time I've had with you for several days now. You've blown away all our lunch and dinner invites. Hell, McKay, you even said you were working on movie night!"

"Do we really have to do this now?" Rodney whined, but his eyes were beginning to show the familiar nervousness. John could also see in Rodney's expression that he was deeply hurting about something.

Sheppard released his grasp and said calmly, "I just want to help."

Rodney looked up at the ceiling briefly and then turned around to face the device again. He ignored Sheppard's concern and went back to looking at the scanner. He said in a dull monotone, with no trace of interest, "Whatever that is, it's giving off the reading we've been detecting."

He tapped a few buttons and hummed. He then took one step towards it and stopped as though he had been turned to stone.

John narrowed his eyes, but before he could ask, Rodney turned around and shouted, "Get back!"

John felt hands on his chest pushing him firmly and he staggered backwards until his foot hit clear air as he reached the steps.

There was a loud whooshing sound, followed by a much louder noise, so deafening he closed his eyes. He had a sensation of falling and then all his senses were rapidly replaced with nothingness.

John coughed and winced as his side pulled. He narrowly opened his eyes and squinted through the dust and saw the sky above him. He frowned when his last memories returned to him. As he recalled, he had been in a warehouse with a perfectly serviceable roof before he had fallen.

Where was McKay though? John slowly tested his limbs and found that they were aching with bruises but still working. He rolled over and wrapped a hand around his midsection as he stood up. He swayed a little as his head throbbed and his vision darkened. He pushed aside his own pain and knew that he needed to find Rodney.

His mouth dropped open when he saw the devastation first hand. The second level of the warehouse had completely collapsed, taking with it the staircase and most of the roof. John had been extremely lucky, but there was no sign of McKay. If he had been in the middle of that…

He reached up and tapped his radio in blind hope that Rodney had got out, "Sheppard to McKay." He sighed and gripped his side more firmly as a spasm of pain went through him, "Rodney, can you hear me?"

He pulled out his life signs detector and tapped his radio again, "Sheppard to Teyla and Ronon."

Teyla answered breathlessly, "We heard the noise. We are on our way, Colonel."

John saw four readings on the screen in his hand. Two were moving quickly towards the light representing himself. A fourth light wavered nearby somewhere in or under all the debris.

John said, "Ronon, run back to the gate and get help. We need a Jumper and a search and rescue team with heavy lifting gear. We'll also need a medical team."

Ronon grunted in reply and John watched as one of the two life signs still capable of moving broke away and rapidly headed towards the edge of the screen.

John pocketed the scanner and carefully made his way over the smashed concrete and steel bars from the framework of the destroyed building and over to the edge of the collapsed part. He pulled out the detector again and headed over to the life sign. It seemed to be near the edge of the heap of rubble. John cautiously approached, ready at any moment to move away if the debris threatened to destabilise and collapse further.

He called out quietly, "McKay? Rodney, where are you?"

There was no answer and Sheppard suddenly baulked in shock when he caught sight of the only part of his friend not covered by debris.

There was a dusty hand poking out from under the rubble, which blended in with the colour of the debris so that he had not seen it at first. The fingers were curled up and totally still. Some of the dirt under the unmoving limb had been muddied with liquid which had a slight tinge.

Sheppard grimaced as he knew it was blood. Rodney was bleeding from somewhere, but it was not his hand or wrist, which were the only parts that Sheppard could see. John crouched down and held his breath as he felt for a pulse. He knew he should believe what the scanner had told him, but he needed to feel the proof of life for himself.

He sighed in relief when he felt a rapid beat under his fingers. He took hold of the hand and squeezed the dusty digits gently, "Rodney? Can you hear me?"

He felt an almost imperceptible tightening of the muscles in the hand held in his own and he smiled grimly. He looked at the debris covering where he thought Rodney was lying and saw that there were several pieces which he could probably move without the risk that the whole pile would shift.

He reluctantly released his grip on the hand and it once again curled up limply where it came to rest back on the ground. Sheppard pulled off all the debris he could and groaned in exertion and pain when his side twinged and his head ached again.

He soon had Rodney's head and upper chest uncovered, but there was another piece of debris either resting or stopped very close to the scientist's lower ribcage and he did not dare to try shifting it. He thought that it was probably only pinning Rodney as if it had been resting on his chest he doubted the man would have survived for as long as he had.

"Teyla to Sheppard."

John once again took hold of Rodney's hand, the man's other arm was buried under the debris, and replied, "Go ahead."

"I am now outside the building. I cannot enter as the doorways are all blocked."

Sheppard furrowed his brow down at Rodney's dirt streaked still face as he saw a bloody graze on his cheek. He said, "Stay where you are for now. Don't put yourself in any danger."

"How is Rodney?"

"He's unconscious and trapped."

Teyla's voice was even as she replied, but John knew her better and he could hear the bravely concealed worry as she spoke, "Ronon should be nearing the gate now. The rescue party will be here soon."

John nodded, even though Teyla could not see him. He said, "I'm going to see if I can find out how badly McKay's injured."

Teyla kept quiet as John shone his flashlight into several gaps he could see in the rubble to try and find out the condition of Rodney's lower body and legs. He ignored the ache in his side while he worked and McKay remained unresponsive.

As he shone the light over the top of main piece of debris covering Rodney, he gasped when he suddenly spotted what was making him bleed, but the debris prevented his access to try and staunch the flow.

Rodney moaned and tried to move, but as quick as a flash John knelt down and grasped the only visible hand. He said, "Don't move at all. Help is on the way."

Rodney drew in shallow breaths and grimaced. He mumbled, "I can't breathe."

John knew that the concrete lying against Rodney's chest would certainly be making it hard to expand his ribcage enough to get the air he needed. He laid his other hand on Rodney's forehead and said, "You obviously can, though. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to speak."

"My chest… it hurts to breathe," Rodney said weakly.

Rodney's eyes suddenly snapped open widely in fear and he said, "I can't feel my legs! Why, why…" he lifted his head up and got a view of solid concrete resting over his chest. "Oh!"

He lowered his head back onto the ground and gritted his teeth. "I think I'm leaking."

John knew that telling Rodney about the extent of his injuries would only make him panic and hurt himself further so that he would die more quickly.

He did not want to think about the metal and how it… no. He knew that if Rodney's lower body was not completely numb from blood loss yet he must be in horrendous agony. He pushed the mental image burned into his memory away and focused all of his attention on Rodney's face.

John frowned as he knew his friend was bleeding, definitely externally and quite likely internally as well from his injuries. He suddenly felt anger and he said sternly, "Why would you do that, McKay?"

Rodney looked up at him sleepily, "Got you out of the way, didn't I? Wraith bomb."

Sheppard held his hand more tightly and said, "It should be me pushing you out of the way and getting buried under the debris."

"Not really." The same haunted and mournful expression as earlier spread out on the scientist's face and he shifted slightly and winced. He then released the breath he had held in his tension and pain and sucked in another.

John hated the way Rodney's face bunched up every few seconds and his breaths caught in his throat as he suppressed agonised cries. He hated his own frustration that he could only keep hold of the pale hand and watch his friend suffering and slowly dying in terrible pain in front of him as there was nothing he could do to stop the bleeding. There was no comfort he could provide; other than the meagre physical contact and speech while they waited for the much needed medical assistance and rescue team.

Knowing he had to keep Rodney conscious, he brought them back to the same topic of conversation earlier, "So, what is up with you today anyway?"

In his physically weakened state, McKay could no longer hold up his mental barriers as well and he said, "You know, the usual. Bad day in the labs, one too many late nights…"

John was not fooled though and he raised his eyebrows, "That's like every day then. This is something different."

Rodney's hand suddenly clenched and he trembled. John winced in sympathy as McKay's body was wracked in spasms of pain and he had no doubt that the movement was only intensifying and worsening the injury he had seen through the narrow gap.

No living thing, human or animal, should ever have to suffer as Rodney was. He knew Rodney was struggling and forcing back the worst signs and noises of what he was truly enduring for John's sake. Sheppard was grateful for that, but it did not make him feel any better. The ones that broke through the fragile surface were heartrending.

Rodney quickly relaxed and opened his streaming eyes. He blinked, like he was unsure where he was and then dim realisation mingled with a primal terror returned to his face.

He turned to John and asked, "What's wrong with me? You know, don't you? But you're not telling me."

"Focus your strength, McKay."

Rodney tried to move again and whimpered. John held his shoulders and said angrily, "Don't move!"

Rodney breaths were becoming more laboured and he closed his eyes and said, "I'm going to die. Whatever's wrong with me, you can't help me, can you? And they'll never make it in time."

John leant right over Rodney's face and waited until the panicked blue eyes finally looked up at him. He said very firmly, "You are not going to die, Rodney." He paused for a moment until he was sure the message had got through. He then said, "Now, tell me what's on your mind," he gestured at the debris with his free hand, "Apart from the obvious."

Rodney clearly did not feel like talking about it as he changed the subject and asked, "How far away are the rescue team?"

"Not far. They're bringing a Jumper. The path outside is wide enough for them to land very close to our position." John smiled and said, "Dr Keller will probably be with them."

Instead of the delight and slight grin which usually played across Rodney's face at even just a mention of the pretty doctor, he closed his eyes and grimaced in sadness. He said quietly, "She won't come for me."

John raised his eyebrows, "She will. She's the best doctor on Atlantis. She'll come, we'll get you out and then we'll all go home."

Rodney tried to shake his head, but he groaned and shuddered. John thought that the reaction he had received at the mention of Jennifer may have been part of the problem. He knew it would be easier to get whatever was troubling Rodney out in the open in the man's weakened state.

The distraction would also help to keep Rodney's mind away from thinking about the pain too, so he asked, "What happened?" He deliberately made it so that he was not indicating his suspicion and Rodney would be able to brush him away again if he really did not want to talk about it.

"It was about two days ago now," Rodney said between gasps. "I'd had a bad day, I think one of those incompetent new scientists from the Daedalus blew something up and set back an experiment by about a week." He digressed into muttering in an almost incoherent rant about his minions. John could only discern a few words, "Useless… why do they send them…? …blow themselves up next time!"

He interrupted, "Okay, so you had a bad day. Not the first time…"

"And not the last," Rodney finished. "Yes, so I went back to my quarters as I'd planned to have dinner with Jennifer. It was late, I was still angry…"

John braced himself when Rodney trailed off sadly. He kept on holding Rodney's hand, hoping that the contact as well as the talking was helping to keep him alive.

Rodney turned to him and hissed through his clenched teeth. He then spoke so softly that Sheppard had to lean in again, "Some… words may have been said that can't be taken back now."

Sheppard kept his face as neutral as possible and did not interrupt as Rodney continued, "I don't know what I did, but she told me I was rude and, and arrogant…"

John felt incredulous and said, "But you are! And you like to tell people about it all the time too!"

"I know, but coming from her… anyway, that's not all. She said she'd been waiting for me to show up and I was so wrapped up in my work I didn't realise how late I was. She told me I obviously thought my work was more important than her."

John narrowed his eyes, "Your work is important, Rodney, but you shouldn't sacrifice your life or your own happiness."

Rodney winced and then said weakly, "I suppose it doesn't matter now." He closed his eyes again and John felt the hand in his own becoming limp.

He patted Rodney's face gently and said, "Stay with me, McKay! You need to tell me what happened next."

Rodney coughed and the clutching hand tightened again. John squeezed back and said sternly, "Less talk like that!"

McKay blinked and darted his eyes around at the debris covering him. He turned his gaze away and screwed his whole face up in pain before he relaxed, but the fine lines of constant agony remained in place as he spoke, "She then continued by saying that I was always in danger and she could no longer cope with the stress. She did not know whether the next time she saw me going offworld would be the last."

John knew that that would put a strain on any relationship, but it was not completely unworkable. He felt a sudden urge to hit something. What she had said had been true, but cruel. He dreaded to think or guess what had happened next, but he had a vague idea.

Rodney sighed sadly and then continued in quiet dejection, "The last thing she said was that she wants to distance herself from me. She left then. Left me alone in my quarters and… and hasn't spoken to me since." He sounded utterly devastated at the end.

John thought that perhaps it had not been such a good idea to ask, as the recollection was draining Rodney and not helping to focus him on staying alive. As John had feared, Rodney's face paled under the dust and blood and his eyes fluttered shut. His friend was crumbling emotionally as his physical state worsened from unpreventable blood loss and pain.

John tapped McKay's cheek again and said, "I'm really sorry, Rodney. She probably didn't mean half of what she said. She'll be here, don't worry."

Rodney mumbled, "No. She won't."

John frowned as he said firmly, "She will. You'll see."

Rodney was too weak to argue back now and his hand relaxed again and stayed limp. John kept talking to him even though he had slipped into unconsciousness, "I know you'll work it out, Rodney. You do need to stay alive though. You'll only prove her right if you don't and I know how annoying you find that."

John continued to talk and reassure Rodney even though he knew his words were probably not heard. It kept him calm as well and forced him away from having to think about his own fear at the possibility that McKay was going to die from his injuries before the rescue team arrived.

He was relieved to hear the grinding and clanking of metal and concrete a few tense minutes later. Soon a large gap appeared behind him where the door to the warehouse had once been.

He called out, "Over here! Hurry!"

He saw a woman with them and her face was clouded with worry. There were several more doctors from her team and John leant right in and said in Rodney's ear, "There, you see. I told you she would come for you."

The rescue team walked over and started gauging and calculating how to remove the debris to release Rodney while the medical team approached.

Jennifer crouched down and asked, "How is he?"

John furrowed his brow and set his lips in a grim line, "He's trapped and he said he can't feel his legs. When he was awake a minute ago he was able to speak clearly."

Jennifer nodded as she absorbed the information. John then pointed at the hole in the debris he had been able to see through and said, "That's not the worst of it though. One of the metal bars holding the concrete together… he either fell on it or it came down on top of him, but it's impaled him, which is probably why he can't move to get away."

While Jennifer had been listening, her team had already strapped a cervical collar around Rodney's neck and placed an oxygen mask over his bruised face. His free arm had been cleaned and an IV line expertly inserted.

The rescue team worked quickly and efficiently to lift away the debris. They required the assistance of the Jumper to remove the main piece of heavy debris over McKay. Sheppard held his breath as he waited with everyone else where the rescue team had moved them along as they worked.

He need not have been worried though, because the movement went without a hitch and Rodney was now free. Although the bar driven through his lower abdomen was still pinning him to the ground like a dead butterfly with wings of dark blood now clearly visible in the daylight.

Jennifer and her team worked on Rodney while the rescue team cut the bar and finally released him from the collapsed warehouse.

Sheppard watched them in a daze as they secured Rodney to a backboard and he grimaced at the metal intrusion into his friend as they left it in place and swiftly carried him back to the Jumper.

John heard a voice calling to him, but he could not make out the words at first. He was letting the pain and tiredness in his own body finally overwhelm him as he knew Rodney's life was now out of his hands and no longer his responsibility. The adrenaline and focus had completely left him and his knees gave way.

He was saved from collapsing by strong hands under his arms.

"Sheppard?" A gruff voice asked, "We'll get you back to the Jumper."

He turned around and planted his feet which felt like jelly under him. The hands pulled his arm over the shoulder of a tall man and John said, "Thanks, Ronon."

There was a grunt in reply and John let himself be guided blearily back to the waiting ship.

John woke up to the sound of quiet beeping and an unpleasant smell of antiseptic. He opened his eyes groggily and blinked.

"Welcome back. We wondered when you would be joining us again."

"Teyla," John said weakly.

"You received some bruising and a head injury in the warehouse collapse."

John looked around and saw that Ronon was also sitting next to him. He glanced around the infirmary, but there was no sign or sound of anyone else. His heart sank and he asked, without really wanting to know the answer, "Where's Rodney?"

Teyla and Ronon both looked sad through their usually stoic expressions, well at least John could see it, even if a casual observer who did not know them as well as he did would have missed it.

Teyla said, "He is in the intensive care area. They have sealed it off and are monitoring him closely."

John sighed and winced as a pain in his side reminded him of his own injuries. Rodney was not dead, but still in a bad way.

Ronon said, "It's only been a few hours since he came out of surgery. He'll be alright. If he wasn't going to make it, he would be dead already."

John narrowed his eyes and then nodded, "Have you been able to see him yet?"

Teyla looked down sadly, "Dr Keller will not allow us to. She is only letting medical personnel in the room where he is at the moment."

John asked, "Is she the one looking after him?"

Teyla frowned slightly in confusion and then answered anyway, "Yes, she is frequently in there to make sure that he in comfortable."

Ronon grumbled, "As much as he can be after the steel spike rammed through him was just pulled out."

John winced and nodded, "Good." He then closed his eyes and allowed the weariness to claim him once more.

"How's he doing, doc?" John asked as Jennifer checked his monitor after Ronon and Teyla had gone.

She looked at him and said, "Not very well. The metal barely missed his pelvis and there's a large risk of infection. He'd nearly bled to death by the time we got there. He also has deep bruising to his chest and legs."

She sighed softly and John knew that Rodney's condition was taking its toll on her as well.

"The internal damage caused by the debris from the warehouse which pierced through his abdomen has been surgically repaired. He's not getting any better though." She frowned and glanced down at her hands like she was unsure about herself.

John asked, "Is it just the injuries, though? Maybe there's something else too?"

Jennifer's narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him. John saw a flicker of guilt and then curiosity as she asked, "How do you…? He told you what happened?"

John shrugged and winced, "He didn't really need to. I think I could've worked it out."

Jennifer furrowed her brow and said, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's not me you should be apologising to, but our resident genius in there. He'll only be able to stay here on Atlantis if you help him. If you don't, he'll die. I doubt whether all the drugs and equipment known to man can do anything for him now. Only you."

Jennifer looked at him in shock and then realisation. It seemed as though she was about to burst and release all of her Rodney McKay related woes. John sighed in relief when her mouth only twisted slightly and she walked away towards the isolation room again.

John relaxed down into the bed and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths and knew he probably did not really need to still be in the infirmary but no one had had the heart to throw him out yet.

John pretended to be asleep when they wheeled another bed next to his. He cracked his eyes open in a narrow squint and kept his breathing noisy and even.

Rodney's face was even paler and darkened with purple bruises now that the dust had been cleaned away. Myriad tubes led in and out of his body and Jennifer remained standing next to him. She held his hand loosely in hers after the rest of the medical team had moved away.

She spoke to him quietly and although John strained to hear, he could not make out any of the words. He watched as she leant over and planted a kiss on Rodney's forehead.

She stood there for a long time and eventually looked across at John. He instantly fully closed his eyes. He had no idea whether she had seen him watching or not, but when he heard retreating footsteps, he knew that she had either seen and decided to ignore him or maybe she thought she had imagined it.

John sat in a chair next to Rodney's bed in the infirmary a few days later. The scientist was propped up on the pillows and his face was still pale under the fading bruises. A bandage was wrapped around his lower abdomen and he rested a hand on his belly as he sat there. He was watching the Colonel sleepily and his nose kept twitching as the cannula irritated him.

John smiled at him and said, "Thanks for saving my life."

Rodney shot him an incredulous look and then said seriously, "You saved mine too."

John shook his head, "No, Dr Keller did. You should be thanking her."

"Hmm," Rodney moved his hand up and started fiddling with the tubing under his nose. He winced and rested his hand back down on his chest.

John said, "She must've said something to you by now about what happened before we went offworld. You've been in here long enough it would be hard to avoid a run in."

Rodney sighed and kept staring down at his hands as he protected his upper body with his arms resting over himself. "Yes, she said she was sorry."

John sat back in his chair and said, "Good!" Rodney still looked sad though so he hesitated, "That is a good thing?"

"Oh, yes, sure, sure." Rodney glanced up at the opposite wall and then turned to John, his blue eyes showing a deep fear. "She's right though. I could die every time I go through that gate. I nearly died that last time."

John shrugged, "It's up to her I suppose. Whether she can live with the worry. I don't see why not."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Rodney closed his eyes. Jennifer came out of her lab and made her way stealthily over to them. She nodded and smiled at John who returned the acknowledgement.

She ran her hand through Rodney's hair and to his credit he did not flinch. Her smile broadened and he looked confused for a moment before he grinned back at her. The look that passed between them was enough proof to John that even with the risk and frequent peril that both of them faced they would never be able to stay apart.

When Jennifer walked away again after she had checked the tubes and readjusted the cannula, John said, "There, you see. No problems."

Rodney closed his eyes in contentment, "You know what? I think you may be right."

John gave him a lopsided smile when he cracked his eyes open to see Sheppard's reaction.

He then drifted off into an easy and dreamless sleep, while Sheppard waited by his side for him to get better. Jennifer was still watching them from the doorway into her lab. She looked grateful when John noticed her and then went back into the room to continue her work.

Fin

A/N – This story is based on the old cliché 'Never let the sun set on an argument.' Please let me know if you enjoyed it! Thanks!