Fic: Cause and Effect by Lemonbella (Dangling Challenge)

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Title: Cause and Effect
Author: Lemonbella
Rating: U/Gen (Mckay/Sheppard if you squint)
Summary "He's left suspended in mid air, unable to work out how to stop it happening again."



With everyone else there'd been connections to make and solutions to find. With everyone else he knew what had happened at the end, and from the end he could trace it back to the beginning and remember what the beginning was like.

When Gaul had died, he'd removed the mirror from his mission supplies, and told Beckett to research the wraith-aging, and he'd borrowed a book from Heightmeyer on preventing suicide. His dreams had been about blood and what a man's eyes look like when his brain is sprayed on the wall behind him

When Dumais had died, he'd rewritten the Exploration Protocol, and stationed the hazmat equipment at designated points throughout the city to reduce the response time by seven minutes, and he'd banned Zelenka from playing Prime not Prime whilst on duty. His dreams had been about machines crawling inside him, and what a woman's eyes look like when all she can see are imaginary monsters.

When Peter had died, there'd been fifteen hours in the 'jumper working out how to make someone else pick the shortest straw, and he'd ensured that everyone knew that you always needed to check for power diversion, even when you had limited oxygen. His dreams had been about debris floating in space and what a pilot's eyes look like when he's flying home one less passenger.

But when Sheppard died, there was nothing, and so Rodney can't trace it back, and he's left suspended in mid air, unable to work out how to stop it happening again. He dreams of brown eyes, bright and laughing, and he finds himself wondering what "So long, Rodney" was supposed to mean.

Comments

[crystalheaven.livejournal.com]

*sniffles* Oh, this hurt to read. But, it was a sort of good hurt, the kind that comes from reading a wonderful fic.

Poor Rodney. *huggs broken Rodney* This is one thing, he can't fix.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thank you, it really wasn't meant to be that upsetting, it just ended up that way.

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

*cries*

Very nicely done.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks *hands you tissue*

[ficklememeer.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh my. *wibble* So painful...so beautifully done.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment. It wasn't meant to turn out as painful as it did

[sweeneybird.livejournal.com]

see icon for comment

::sniffs::

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

*distracted by Rodney* Thanks

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

This vid (http://www.testify.uncoveredveils.de/new2/stayJDsmall.wmv) (J/D) has had me crying all evening.

Just as I stop, I read this.

Bad idea. So sad - so thoughtful and very moving. <3s

.a.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Well, now I'm crying. Thanks for commenting.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Heartbreaking. Very nicely done. *Cries*

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I should've stocked up on tissues, but it wasn't meant to turn out like that.

[aclarar.livejournal.com]

ow that hurt.

*hug sad Rody*

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

I feel duty bound to make him happy now...

[ruggerdavey.livejournal.com]

*sniff* Just...ouch. But very good.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting

[spikedluv]

Oh, man, that was really...ouchie. Lovely take on the challenge!

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Things always start out in my head so much less hurtful than they end up.

[sundara.livejournal.com]

That was unexpected, like someone reaching over and ripping the bandage from your skin. Well done.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting *hands you new band aid*

[spubba.livejournal.com]

The fic equivalent of a swift kick to the nuts. Well done. This is going to be one of my recs.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

It was supposed to be longer and not quite so painful, but there you go. Thanks

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

That is so horribly sad...but beautifully written.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks

[(Anonymous)]

Ohh...I love how Rodney tries to apply "patches" to prevent whatever went wrong before. It's very much a logical, scientist-type thing to do, and packs the last paragraph with more emotional punch because of it. Hope that makes sense.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad the idea of Rodney trying to fix everything came across, that's what gave me the bunny in the first place.

[fenris_wolf0]

Oh, well done!

Very well done... I liked the understated way in which these successive experiences told a story more hurtful than may appear at first glance.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It was strange, because I thought there were more deaths Rodney was close to, but in the end there were only those three and it actually seemed more heartbreaking because of it.

[mgbutterfly.livejournal.com]

*sniff*
:::chills:::
*sniff*
That was very well done.
Beautifully written.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thank you

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Owie.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

I keep upsetting people! One day I'm going to write happy fic.

[tinny]

Ouch! So beautiful!

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks

[hajimebassaidai.livejournal.com]

A nicely detailed list with the repetition of each reinforcing the impact of the last one.

There isn't really anything he could of done differently then, nothing he can change to prevent it happening again and there weren't any haunted eyes to see in his dreams.

Just those resounding words.

Brilliant!

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment!