Five Times Rodney Almost Died Since Coming to Atlantis by <user site="livejournal.com" user="maveric

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Title: Five Times Rodney Almost Died Since Coming to Atlantis
Author: Maverick
Pairing: Gen with shades of McKay/Sheppard
Summary: Five 100 word drabbles, one episode from every season.
Spoilers: Last drabble references events in Search and Rescue.

Author's Notes: Thanks to pollitt for beta and for playing with me tonight when I said we should both do the five things challenge RIGHT NOW.



Hot Zone
~*~*~*~

Shadows in the corner of his eyes, a terrifying trick of light. Bogeymen born of parasites swimming free-form through his bloodstream. At the moment, the lack of time his greatest enemy. Finding his anchor in the science, his mind sharp and focused as the shadows loom. The darkness is coming, but he knows the answer's within his reach. Salvation born in a twist of fate, a literal shot of ancient genes snuffing out the nanites before they could do the same to him. And then the answer's obvious, an EM charge to save the others not as lucky as him.


The Hive
~*~*~*~

Hot, so hot.

Mind in overdrive. Thoughts tumble and divide before they're fully formed. Must. Focus. His team is out there with stupid Ford and his stupid plan. Suicide mission unless he can get back to Atlantis.

Hot, so hot.

He can do this, he can. He can take out the guards, he can find the crystals. He's a genius, even hopped up on Wraith enzyme. Though smarts for once aren't needed. Brains give way to brawn.

Hot, so hot.

One more chevron and he'll be back in Atlantis sending out the cavalry to bring them home.

Hot, so hot.


No Man's Land
~*~*~*~

Cocoon. Talk about the irony, he's the fly in the spider's web and his brain can't get him out of this one. Hell, it's what got him into it in the first place. So sure he was smarter than them, so arrogant he'd save the day. But now the Wraith are on their way to Earth thanks to him. Sure, Ronon's beside him fighting against the inevitable, he'll die before he'll surrender.

But that's not him, except maybe now it is.

And if he's going to die, he'll be taking the Wraith with him. He's pretty sure Ronon would approve.


Miller's Crossing
~*~*~*~

Selfless. Not a word anyone would associate with him. Petty, arrogant, bad with people. He wears those badges with pride. But his sister, his little sister, is dying because of him and there's only one way to save her. It's the greatest lesson he's learned in Pegasus, the greatest lesson he's learned about himself. He's willing to die for the greater good but more importantly, he's willing to die for the people he loves. In the end, it's a trait he thinks Sheppard would be proud that he's found inside himself.

Now he just has to convince John of that.


Search and Rescue.
~*~*~*~

For a genius, it's quite telling that he can't count the number of times he's almost died since coming to Pegasus. He'd laugh if he wasn't so busy trying not to panic as he helps Teyla deliver her child. He's not stupid, he knows the mechanics of what's happening, he knows women have been doing this since the beginning of time.

But that first cry from those little lungs is more profound than any scientific discovery he's ever made. Even if his luck runs out tomorrow and he dies, he knows life will go on.

There's great comfort in that.

Comments

aww..

[wolfdancer.livejournal.com]

thank you. this was just right.
Yay.

Re: aww..

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Lovely, thanks.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[inthekeyofd.livejournal.com]

I've never realized how many times it's been, but what I love about these is that he's found out something about himself, how strong he is, how brave, how much he belongs there and he's so much more than just another science officer.

And OH OH, when he helped Teyla, I swear that scene just made my heart go all fuzzy for him..seriously, it was like Rodney's hard edges all got filed down.

Thank you for this, you all wrote some wonderful 5 times stories!!!!

more than

[agdrgn.livejournal.com]

Actually it's been nore than this - Grace Under Pressure ring a bell?
And Hide and Seek possibly.

--Silverthreads

Re: more than

[inthekeyofd.livejournal.com]

I know it's been more than this, I just let them pass without even thinking about it until they are staring me in the face.

And yes, it does ring a bell, seeing as that's one of my favorite episodes, so isn't Inferno, he came pretty close in that one too, and yes, that one does that ring a bell as well.

Re: more than

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

He's nearly died many, many more times than I touched on here. I just picked on episode that spoke to me from each season and tried to go with ones there weren't the obvious choices such as Grace Under Pressure or Tao of Rodney.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks d. Rodney's always in peril, but you got the point of this little experiment which was "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, better, etc.

Thanks for reading.

[data785.livejournal.com]

Oh Rodney! I particularly like the last two, seeing how Rodney's grown esp the fact that he's found a family in Atlantis to risk his life for.

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks P. I think the growth of Rodney is one of my very favorite things about SGA.

[catheights.livejournal.com]

Fabulous set of drabbles. In a few words, you perfectly capture Rodney's feelings in each of these episodes. They're each individually perfect, but also fit brilliantly together leaving the reader with a powerful impact of all Rodney's gone through and learned. Fantastic writing!

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Thanks partner. I do so enjoy drabbles. And as I told P above, the growth of Rodney is one of the best things about SGA for me.

[alleonh.livejournal.com]

=^___^= I loved it!

I think the No Man's Land one was my favorite...but it's hard to choose. I really like the "Fly in the spider's web" line, as well as the line about taking them with him and Ronon approving.

Oh Rodney ^.^

[maverick4oz.livejournal.com]

Oh Rodney, indeed. Thanks so much for reading.

[hajimebassaidai.livejournal.com]

Loved this, it's pitched just right!

[duonoaikouka.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful Rodney piece. Especially loved #4 as I'm a HUGE Miller's Crossing fan, and you captured beautifully how much Rodney has grown up to and including this ep.

And #5!! Am in love with this! Liked seeing how Rodney has grown enough to appreciate the other things in life besides the hard science, like the idea that life marches on, regardless of his presence in it or not.

Rodney is a complex character that you captured very deftly. Thanks for sharing this. :)