The next day was humid and overcast. Dry lightning flashed across the putrid sky while its concussive rumble occasionally shook the jumper. Rodney was making a new potion on the passenger bench, crushing something in a cup and looking victorious. John came awake slow…his extremities tingled with cold. His right leg didn't register. He couldn't feel it. He could taste blood in his mouth again, bitter and fresh. The most painful sensation screaming his name was the blistering backpressure in his chest, pushing out against his fractured ribcage. The insistent rattle emanating from his core was severe now and visibly shook him as he labored to breathe. He met Rodney's eyes with a new feeling of distortion as his friend held out a spoon with an unshaven smile.

"Breakfast?"Rodney quipped as he slipped down by his side.

John was whispering to himself, appearing slightly delirious. His confusion flipped channels until he remembered the required words, "Not... yet."

"How are you feeling?" Rodney said softly, instantly regretting the question. John missed the meaning. He looked gravely weak.

John's cloudy mind cleared momentarily. "McKay,…thank you." Rodney moved in closer, fearful he was planning on leaving for good.

"For what?"

"Everything …did good job, bandages… cleaned me…carried my pee..." he finished with a small detached smile.

"Well, let's say that never happened. The pee thing…But yeah, you looked like a bum in the back streets of New Orleans after Mardi gras. Would have smelled like one too if I hadn't, you know." He said, grinning. "Thank god you haven't eaten anything…that would have put me over the edge."

John, still smiling, whispered, "Ya don't think… I 'd do it for you?"

Rodney looked at John with complete seriousness, "You would have shot me. I would have insisted."

John was strangely quiet for a second; his head jerking to the side. He replied in an ethereal tone, "I would have." Rodney noticed John's skin tone had a faint blue tint, masked by a film of moisture. Not good.

"Food?" John tried again.

Rodney was forcing his fear down, denying the clues before him and attempted a brave face, "I made sauce out of that apple you had….It has the last of your happy med in it...I think you might find it less challenging right now. Rodney knew it was probably all, if not the last and only thing he could handle. He had stopped giving him fluid in any decent quantity the night before because it would only come back up.

John looked at him, contemplating if it was worth the risk…."Ok."

Rodney spooned out a small sample and placed in into his mouth. The tart taste made him more alert. John swallowed it greedily as if inebriated and tried to reach for the cup. His right arm didn't respond, so he moved his left. The desperation made Rodney heart sick, "Here, let me hold the cup."

John took the spoon and finished it off in a minute. "Thanks…" He said, as he settled back. The sound of the thunder outside was moving off. "Rodney?"

"Yeah, what is it?" He kindly returned.

"Turn me… on my side."

Rodney stopped. "That's going to hurt like hell."

"I know ... water… my lungs…I need to … clear them. Breathing… getting too hard….please…" As his words sounded heavy and wet, John's eyes pleaded in earnest.

"Easy..." Rodney whispered as he placed his hands as strategically as he could on John without causing more pain and gradually turned him on his left to face the wall. The heavy blanket covering his chest fell away, exposing his damaged state. John started to breathe faster under the strain of his injuries and then it began. He coughed; slow at first, then harder, over and over, his half naked body shuddering without any sense of control. He cried out in a shrill between stolen breaths and bouts of gagging. What seemed like forever, ended in a cold sweat that coated John as he slumped back into Rodney's arms, exhausted. His head hung loose, unable to hold its self up, while tears silently pushed out, stinging his raw flesh. Mouth and eyes glazed open, he appeared lifeless. Rodney caught him and placed him back down, face up, this time with another cushion propping him up into a sitting position. Terror filled Rodney now as he looked at the wall. Abundant and foul smelling liquid streaked with rusty pink mucus pooled in a depression on the floor. 'Carson! I am losing him, please, he's leaving!' He raged in his head. Rodney grabbed a shop towel from the netting above and wiped Sheppard's face with trembling fingers, his own throat closed off. Rodney was holding his breath. John was frighteningly unresponsive at first, but slowly re-animated after a few minutes, a subtle blush refilling his face. Rodney sat stone quiet, sobered down to his soul by what had just happened.

Nearly closed now, John's blanched eyes tried to focus…"McKay…" John wheezed again, "If they don't…come…"

Rodney cut him off, "We are so not going there! They will and you will live to give me crap another day! Don't you dare you son of a bitch! " He looked at Sheppard in shock, furious that he had threatened him out of panic.

Undeterred, John persisted, "Please, the gate…few days walk…you have to …." John gasped in a spasm, running out of air. Rodney knew John was right. The gate could be reached, maybe by swimming… but without him. The other problem was there were a multitude of gates in this solar system. Help could come through any of them, or not. He didn't know if this gate even had a DHD let alone if it was functional.

"I'm…c...old..," John choked, as his eyes rolled back and his body went slack.

"No Sheppard! Not now"! Damn it! Stay here! John! I'm here!" Rodney yelled out as picked John up and held him against his chest. He pulled the blankets around and held on for dear life and for John. 'Nothing could be worse than this….nothing'...He thought, distraught beyond his imagination. Closing his eyes, Rodney McKay counted every heart beat in John Sheppard's chest until he lost track to the vacuous night and his own glucose deficient delirium.

"Rodney? Rodney…can you hear me? Its Carson…Come on now…..snap to it! " Carson's voice echoed far off in Rodney's head, moving in and out of his bad dream. He wanted to reach out to it, fall into it with the hope it would bring him home. Starting as slits of white and brown, the fuzzy world came into focus…Rodney could see Carson's blue eyed face as it floated before him. Carson looked concerned, if not rushed.

'I have lost it…completely. Probably dead. That's ok…' Rodney whispered incoherently. He felt a rough hand on his face, warm and real. Rodney rose higher, crawling out of his fatigue induced delusion and blurted out, "CARSON!?"

"Hi Rodney...I'm here. We found you. I need you to let go of Colonel Sheppard…nice and slow…time to share...come on!" Rodney jumped as he looked down and saw John against him, unconscious but warm and alive.

"Oh, God Carson! He's dying! Help him! "He stammered as he released him carefully into the doctor's arms.

"Back board! Now!" Carson yelled as two members of his medical team rushed in and whisked John up and onto the board. Carson yelled out, "Christ! Right now! Set him up now!" Rodney tried to watch, but before he could grasp the details, John was out the door surrounded by Carson and his team.

Having been relieved of his impossible situation, Rodney felt dizzy; feeling like passing out was unavoidable as the shouting from outside faded. He was going under into the depths of an imagined sea, when he was shaken back.

Keller had stepped into the Jumper and sat down in front of Rodney. He was dazed, but starting to form a grin. "Hey, nice to see you McKay…" She said quietly, returning his smile.

"It's over?" He asked as he reached for her.

"Yeah, you did great! Carson says you saved him. He said the Colonel should have died two days ago by the looks of him. It's going to be ok." She carefully looked him over as she spoke, making sure he really was alright.

"Is he going to make it?"

"It is too soon to know really, but I think so. You bought us time…You want toget out of here?"She asked, warmth in her voice.

"No, I think I'll stay another week, you know, fix the place up! " He shot back sarcastically as he struggled to stand.

Keller helped him up, handing him a bottle of juice and smiling at a very brave man. "See, you're the same McKay, just needing a shower and a meal..."

"Meal? I think I've earned more than that!" He boasted as he staggered out with her.

Two weeks had passed in Atlantis since their return, and Rodney was sitting in a chair left by Carson. He was next to John's bed in the infirmary an hour before daybreak, face down in the blankets… John heard snoring…it was getting closer…he opened his eyes and oriented himself to the room. An all too familiar room. He felt painful and worn out, but breathing was so much easier. He smiled slowly as he saw a friendly form. The morphine pump smiled back. 'He was home'…He thought. He gave a little laugh that stung, 'How messed up is that, I'm still here?' He heard himself say within his achy head. He let his thoughts move about; remembering the recent if not unpleasant events….He was alive. John was convinced it was the universes' way of torturing him. His body was bandaged and braced into a locked position, and though restrictive, it was reassuring. The usual assortment of wires and tubes made their way uncomfortably in and out of his body, now warm and healing. He felt a hand on his good shoulder. It was Carson. "Hey…Doc." John whispered, his voice strained, almost unfamiliar due to lack of use. .

"Welcome back Colonel. You really cut it close this time. Scared the bloody hell out of us, you did." He said softly like a father speaking to a young son.

"Sorry…glad to be here...how am I?" John asked, sounding hoarse, but more like himself.

"Aye, let's see, 5 broken ribs, a fractured clavicle, tibia, right orbit, dislocated shoulder, punctured lung, an infection, internal bleeding, hypoxia, shock, dehydration, major blood loss, amoderate concussion, multiple lacerations requiring too many stitches and a split lower lip. Did I miss anything?"

"Crraaap..." John groaned.

"Crap, indeed." Carson said, smiling with forgiveness. "You are going to be here a while, and don't even talk to me about going off world for a very long time…"

"Ok." John offered in submission before he remembered…. "McKay, where's McKay...is he alright?"John clutched at Carson's arm.

"Do you think I am making that un-natural sound?" Carson said with a grin and looked at the foot of the bed. "I'll give you two a moment…"Carson said, slapping Rodney's back on his way out.

The bed moved and John saw the face of the resident genius. "Sheppard?" Rodney blinked innocently at him like a kid seeing Santa for the first time.

"Hey, buddy…miss me…?" John croaked.

Rodney smiled and came closer. "As a matter of fact, yes. Ronon, Teyla, even Woolsey…they have been watching over you. It's been hard to get a seat. Carter came by this morning."

"Carter?" John questioned confusion in his voice.

"Yeah, her and Lorne are gonna take over your duties while you recover."

"That's good…" John trailed off.

"We are really glad to have you back John,…I am glad."

John looked thoughtfully at Rodney, watching him fidget as if he had more to say. John made a move to break the tension. "You did good McKay…Proud of you…" John said with a straight face.

"Really?" Rodney asked in a humbled tone. John nodded, still looking at him.

"Look, John, I know things were extreme, and I did things…well…you saw how I can be…I don't want you to think I'm a nut job. You don't, do you? I don't want to lose …" Rodney paused, building his courage. John let him. "What I want to say is that...when you helped me through that creepy brain parasite thing a few months ago…It changed me. It changed this…can we keep this…?" He proposed with a hopeful look. John looked back, fighting a small smirk. He knew just how hard that admission was…..

"Wouldn't have it any other way McKay….and I do think you're a nut job, but the kind I want around." Rodney looked surprised, but relieved. "John,"

"Yep?"

"I really don't like beer."

"It's ok, I really don't like Gatorade." John said. They both smiled.

A quiet moment elapsed and Rodney straightened his posture. Regaining his polished professional demeanor, Dr. McKay was back. " Look, I was just waiting to see if you were going to make it….I have important things waiting for me in my lab…..got to get back."

"Mmmm…I see. Wouldn't be Keller, would it?" Sheppard said low, with a refreshingly sly smile.

"SSHHH! I…I'm working on that…but no. Shut up!" Rodney looked around, hoping Carson was out of earshot.

"Too bad, she's pretty."John whispered.

Rodney flushed pink, "Hey! Back off! I have dibs!"

Sheppard tried not to laugh at his ridiculous choice of words, but it slipped painfully out in a sleepy yawn. "Dibs? Don't worry McKay, I like brunettes, remember…" John offered in appeasement.

Rodney knew then that John remembered everything. He lowered his voice in a sensitive effort, "Speaking of that Sheppard,... are we ok, you know…with your…Brunette thing?" John sighed lightly as he imagined Elizabeth standing at his bedside.

"John?"

He smiled as he looked up past the ceiling and into the morphine painted sky…"Yeah, we're ok. Thanks Rodney." He said in a calm, soft voice that made Rodney relax again.

Carson drifted back in, looking fatigued but happy as always. "Gentlemen, glad you can at last visit, but it is time to let the Colonel sleep."

"So, is it official? Did I actually save him?" Rodney asked, beaming with more than enough pride for one man.

"Aye, you did indeed Rodney." Carson said, putting his hand on Rodney's shoulder.

"Great! Off I go! Night Sheppard!" he yelled over his shoulder as he bounced out of the infirmary.

John looked at Carson with a disbelieving frown. "He did that to rub it in, Huh?"

Carson smiled, "Yep! He's known these last two weeks. He was just waiting for you to be awake."

"I have been out for that long?"John asked, sounding disappointed.

"Yes, and I thought it might be longer…you're ahead of schedule."Carson stated, moving closer. "Still hurt to breathe? "

"Yeah, but not so much, not like it did. Everything hurts about the same….I'm tired." John confessed, his eyes starting to close a little. "Carson… Did he tell you…you know…stuff he had to do….to me?" John asked with a voice tainted by discomfort.

Carson looked at John thoughtfully, rocking back and forth on his heels…."Yeah, afraid so…But it worked…."

"Yeah, guess so….You know, he was talking to you the whole time…..when you weren't there…if you get my drift." John said, wondering if that made a difference.

"Wouldn't be the first time…Rodney is many things, but sane may not be one of them. Loyal, on the other hand, without a doubt. Get some rest John, The details are safe. I'll be here when you wake. "

"Thanks…" John said as he closed his eyes. Carson adjusted his IV line, patted his arm and walked off into the hall with the chair from the bedside. The lights dimmed, suspending him between thoughts. A soft smile marked his bruised but handsome face. Rodney had saved him all on his own. Maybe they had saved each other; maybe in more ways than one. John drifted off, out of danger and happy to sleep for the sake of sleep. The ghosts were gone.

Fini