RATING: PG - for some minor swearing
SEASON: Third Season - somewhere after Sateda
MAJOR CHARACTERS: Ronon and McKay -- with a dash of Sheppard
DISCLAIMERS: The characters, Atlantis, etc, all belong to Sony, MGM, Gecko, Showtime, the Sci-Fi Channel.  I own nothing that they'd want.  
SUMMARY:  Ronon needs to get McKay back to the Gate when things go bad.  Someone gets hurt
FEEDBACK: Yes please! comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
SPOILERS: Small ones for: Coup D'Etat, Sateda, Hot Zone, The Defiant One, Grace Under Pressure, Trinity, Hide and Seek, Duet, the Hive
AWARDS:  2007 Skiffy - 3rd Place - Ronon Dex
DATE: October 30, 2006, housekeeping done August 18, 2007

Stupid Stuff
By NotTasha... yeah, I know all about stupid stuff

PART 1: RUNNER

“What the hell was that?”  McKay griped as he bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he came to a halt once again.  He panted.

“Genii,” Ronon responded as he checked his weapon, his eyes never leaving the foliage behind them.

The scientist grimaced and grumbled, “Well, of course.  I knew that!  I mean it’s hard not to mistake the military mojo they got going there.  But what the hell are they doing here?”

Ronon shrugged, keeping his attention on everything around them.

“There is no way that they knew about the... power signature,” McKay went on.  “I mean... we were barely able to pick up the signal, and... those Calabazans are hardly able to grasp the concept of how to... rub two sticks together to make a fire.  I hardly think they were behind this.”  His words came out in a rush as he fought for air.  “I mean, did you see how they dressed?  Hardly better than... skins and furs.  What do they know about power? I’m just sayin’.”

Ronon held up a hand, hoping it’d silence the man.  There was no such luck.

“Oh!  Oh!”  McKay snapped his fingers.  “They got their hands on some of those old... wanted posters.  That’s it!”  He continued to pant through his rambling as Ronon narrowed his eyes, watching.  “Wonder if there’s still a reward?  Probably not.  That was Cowen’s idea, right?  And there’s no more Cowen because… well… nuclear blast.  Not much hope of escaping that.  Might have left a shadow, but that’s it.  Bet the reward money got... blown up with him.  Might have hid it elsewhere.  Think he paid those people who gave up Major Lorne’s team?  Maybe Laden made off with it.  Think he did?”

Ronon didn’t answer.  This was a bad situation – too far from the Gate on a planet that had turned decidedly unfriendly in the blink of an eye.  He had to get McKay moving again, get him to safety.

“And what’s up with Laden?  Honestly, I don’t know what side of the fence he’s on.  Got to think though, he’s not still offering that reward.  He doesn’t seem like the type.  He’s sneakier than that.”  McKay shook his head, wiping the back of one hand across his sweating forehead.

McKay made no sense to Ronon.  Here was a man, gasping for breath, and still unable to stop talking.

“Still, do the Calabazans know that?  They might be thinking they won the lottery or something when they realized that the folks in the posters were showing up on their doorstep.  Bet it was Major Lorne that gave us away.  Yeah, his mug was on those posters, too.”

“Quiet,” Ronon demanded and gave McKay a shove.  “Keep moving.”

Rodney’s face scrunched up as he stumbled for his footing.  “But we just stopped,” he whined.  “We’ve been running for miles and I really need a breather because…”

“We have to go.”

A frown and McKay stated, “I don’t know if you’ve ever really looked at me, but I’m not an athlete.”  And he gestured to himself as if that was explanation enough.  “This isn’t easy for me.”

“Stop talking,” Ronon ordered, giving the man another hard push that put him in motion again.  “Got to get back to the Gate.”

“Great idea,” McKay snapped as he struggled onward.  “Get to the Gate... and avoid getting shot.  You should add that, because getting shot really is not on my ‘to do’ list for the day.”

Ronon grunted and jabbed the man onward as he looked over his shoulder, searching for their pursuers.

It had started off as an easy enough mission.  The Calabazans had been pleasant people, known by both Teyla and Ronon.  Major Lorne’s team had scouted the place, had found odd power readings, and they hadn’t been able to track down the source.  After working on it for the better part of a day, they’d returned to Atlantis.  Three days later, Sheppard’s team had been sent to check it out.

McKay had this freakish ability to pinpoint the exact location of nearly impossible to find power sources, so he’d immediately set on that task.  Lorne had also mentioned the possibility of getting their hands on an Ancient scroll of some sort, so team had split up to investigate both possibilities at once.

Looking back, Ronon realized dividing the team had been shortsighted – stupid.

He had lost out in the arrangement, getting paired up with McKay.  All things considered, Ronon preferred to be with Teyla in these situations, but Sheppard had wanted someone familiar with the planet with each team.

Teyla was better at handling the technical aspects, better at handling McKay.  It would have made more sense to tag her with McKay. Ronon would have gone with Sheppard.  It would have made sense.  But attaining the scroll, apparently, needed a little negotiating and there was only one person in their band capable of that task.

The Colonel wanted some muscle to back the insistent physicist.  McKay did tend to draw unfortunate results from the people he confronted.  He might be a genius, but McKay could be foolish at times.

Ronon was just following orders and did as he was told.  He was here to protect the civilian.  He would perform that task and let no harm come to McKay.  He’d just hoped he wasn’t expected to ‘help’ the scientist with any of the technical devices that they might encounter.  Because every one of them should have realized he wasn't cut out for that sort of thing.  It made him uncomfortable, being around McKay when he was in full-genius mode.  It made Ronon feel... stupid.

Luckily, McKay had expected nothing out of Ronon besides ‘guard duty’.  Fine. The less talk involved, the better.

His sole duty was to keep McKay safe – to ensure he made it back to Atlantis where his unfathomable brainpower would, in turn, keep all of Atlantis safe.  It was a big responsibility – a huge one – and Dex did not take the job lightly.

Ronon Dex wasn’t a genius, he wasn’t the one that’d save their city with a last-minute brilliant plan.  The least he could do was protect the one who could.

McKay had been hot on the trail of this particular power reading, nay-saying all the way.  “Probably nothing more than a transistor radio, or a crock pot that has been left on too long.  Of course, I can’t believe these people capable of creating either of those things so … well… it’s mere existence may prove to be significant.  Hmmm.”  And they found a pile of rubble that looked like a pile of rubble, but for some reason McKay got excited about it.

Ronon stood watch as McKay fiddled.   It was dull work, but Ronon passed the time by remaining vigilant, acting as if trouble were just around the corner, as if something horrible should be expected at any moment.  It kept him interested.

So, when everything got turned over and the Genii spilled into the compound, he was ready.  He’d been able to manhandle the scientist over a wall, and radio Sheppard and Teyla as they made their escape path unusable to pursuers.  They put distance behind them, assured by Teyla and Sheppard that they were doing the same.

Sheppard told him to keep off the radio – because the Genii had had access to their communication devices in the past and were probably quite capable of listening in.  The last thing the colonel said was, “Get back to the Gate.”

They ran.  They ran and ran, but not quickly enough.  It wouldn’t be so frustrating if McKay didn’t pause so often, gasping like a fish out of water, sweating like he was sweltering.

Alone, Ronon could have covered the distance.  Or better yet -- alone, Ronon could have fallen back, to lie in wait and take the Genii as they came past him.  Alone, he would have done everything he could to destroy the pursuers, and then escape.   He was more than capable.

But he wasn’t alone.

“Keep moving!” Ronon barked as McKay flagged again.

“I am!” McKay shot back.  “I can only run so fast, okay?”

Ronon had already stripped the scientist of his pack, slinging it over his own shoulder when the scientist squawked about the value of what was carried there.  McKay was rather like a child.  He hadn’t lived all his life with the terror of the Wraith, hadn’t lived for years as a Runner.  Ronon couldn’t fault him for his easy life.  He couldn’t even envy it.

Life without peril was alien to him – as alien as this entire galaxy was to these people.  The military understood life-or-death situations.  The scientists, on the other hand, were soft, they struggled, and even when running for their lives, they went about it like uninitiated tykes.

Ronon knew that they were still pursued.  He’d managed to outfox the Genii once or twice, flummoxing their attempts to follow, but the Genii kept moving, kept coming. The Gate was far, and they were moving too slowly.

“Hang on!  Hang on!”  McKay gasped, coming to another halt.  “I got to…Oh God…Hang on… I got a stitch…”

“Move, McKay!” Ronon ordered, even though McKay looked as if he was about to faint – flushed and panting, almost shaking with fatigue.  Might be better off if he did pass out, Ronon figured, that way he could just pick up the scientist and carry him the rest of the way over his shoulder.  And he grimaced, not appreciating the idea of having to tote the man for so far.

“We're miles ahead of them."

"They're probably just behind us."

McKay sighed expansively.  "Give me a second!”  He grimaced as he clutched his side.

“We don’t have a second!”

McKay crouched, his head low, one hand on his knee, the other at his side. He looked about ready to vomit.  “Just a second, okay?  Christ!  Just one second…”  He didn’t see what was coming.

Ronon did.

The former runner heard the quiet squeak.  He turned in the direction they were headed, and saw the glint, the shape of a weapon, a form hiding behind a tree, waiting for them.   He charted where the weapon was aimed, knowing its course, its target, and seeing the only way to confound it.

He jumped, knocking McKay to the ground.  He heard the shot, felt it explode into his side.  He stumbled, falling fully onto McKay and they tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Pain… shock.  He fought them off as he rolled, needing to get to his feet again.

“What?  What happened?  Hey!” McKay was shouting, trying to get himself untangled from the big Satedan.

Ronon moved into a crouch, unable to fully stand, weapon in hand.  He made out the shape again.

A face gazed at him from behind a tree.  A weapon lifted, obscuring the blank expression as the Genii aimed.

Ronon aimed faster.  He heard the whine of his weapon, the scream of it discharging, a strangely wet sounding impact, the shattering of tree bark, and the quiet thud of the victim’s body hitting the ferny ground.  And then all was quiet, except for the terrified panting of McKay.

Good, Ronon thought, smiling slightly.  Got him!  He tried to straighten, but his body shrieked against the attempt.

“Ronon?”

“Let’s go,” Ronon ordered, reaching down to yank McKay to his feet.

“Wait… wait… you’ve been hit. Do you know you’ve been hit?”  McKay scrabbled up on hands and knees.  “Oh God, it doesn’t look good.  Someone should do something about it,” he babbled.  “Where’s Beckett when you need him?” he muttered as he got to his feet.  “Because we really could use him right now.”

“Get moving, before more of them come.”  Ronon tried not to wince. He tried to force back the pain that assaulted him.  Now, it was even more urgent that they got moving.  How could he protect McKay if he had a hole in his side?

“Oh, that’s got to hurt.  You have to take care of that.”

“No time!” Ronon hissed, grasping his side as the pain grew.  He cursed McKay for bringing it up.  Mentioning pain only made it worse.  He couldn’t let it get the better of him.  Not when he still had this responsibility.

McKay was beside him now, his face white with worry.  “That’s so not good,” he said again.  “We need to do something about it.”  He patted at his pockets, bringing out a handful emergency dressings, scattering a few on the ground.  “I’m not so good at this sort of thing.  Really, I’m one of the very worst people you’d want, but if you just hold still a moment, I’ll do what I can, okay?  Just… can you lift your shirt or something and I’ll…”

“Get moving!” Ronon shouted, grasping hold of Rodney’s outstretched arm and wrenching it about as he drove the man forward.

“Ow!  Ow!  Hey!  No need to be violent!” McKay groused as he stumbled.  “I’m just trying to help, that’s all.”

“Try staying alive instead!” Dex growled, pushing McKay forward as they continued their path.  Ronon groaned, clutching at the bleeding wound.  It hurt, but he would not let it overcome him.  He had a responsibility to perform and he would not fail.  They ran.

McKay half-turned, looking at the Satedan in concern, so Ronon grabbed hold of the scientist by the shoulder and propelled him onward.

“Ow!  You don’t have to do that!”

“Don’t slow down!” he ordered.

They were in trouble.  Big trouble.  They were too far from the Gate, and he’d been hit.  It was only a matter of time and he’d go down.  He was determined to make the best of the time he had left.  He wouldn’t fail. He’d get McKay safely back to the Gate.  If he could just get Rodney back unscathed.  If he could manage that, then he could proudly go out of this life.

So he ran, shoving McKay all the way.  He would not let the man stop again, no matter how many times McKay tried to twist out of his grasp.  Ronon kept seeing that worried face turned toward him, obviously concerned about his own safety.

McKay was yammering about something, saying that they needed to stop, to take care of something, but there would be no stopping.  Ronon would not quit until his responsibility was fulfilled, until he’d gotten McKay home.

They ran.  More than once, he found himself half-falling onto the scientist, aggravating the hell out of the Satedan.  As if he didn’t have enough problems, McKay seemed to be getting clumsier by the moment.  They were about to take a tumble.  Ronon had to put more pressure on the scientist, more weight – just to keep McKay moving forward.

They weren’t going to make it.  And what would happen?  Would McKay even know how to get back to the Gate from here after he failed?  McKay was too green, too unsure in the field.   McKay would probably ‘freak out’.

Failure was not an option.  They had to keep moving.

But it wasn’t fast enough.

He growled through his teeth, “Too slow! Go faster or we’re going to die!”   It was Sheppard’s theory that threat of death always spurred the recalcitrant physicist to greater speed.

“Fine!”

“Faster!  Don’t slow down!  If they catch us, we’re dead!” he barked at the scientist, just above the man’s ear.  “We’ll both be dead!  Do you hear me?”

“How could I not?” McKay snapped back.

Why was McKay so slow?  Ronon needed to keep urging on the man with each passing moment, he had to press more weight to move McKay along.  “You’re going to get us both killed!” he growled, hoping the threat would be enough to keep McKay moving. “You want that?”

“What?  No… no… I…”

“Stop talking!  Don’t waste your breath!”

McKay gasped as he stumbled onward.  He kept quiet after that, concentrating on moving.  Ronon kept one hand on his shoulder – a hand that soon became an arm, and half his body, just to keep McKay moving onward, to keep the scientist going forward.

But they were moving slower.  They went down to their knees and McKay struggled to gain his feet again.  Ronon never released his hold on the man, tugging and yanking at him all the way.  Why did they let these weak scientists into the field?

“Run! Do you want us to die here?” Ronon gasped out once they were upright.  And they moved forward again.

Beneath his arm, McKay huffed and struggled.

Ronon would use his last breath to complete this obligation.  He would use every last ounce of his strength to fulfill this responsibility.  McKay would be returned to Atlantis – that was Ronon’s pledge.

But it was getting dark.  The trees seemed to close in around him, and he pressed even harder.  Running was becoming an unconscious activity.  He moved – he would keep moving.

They were in trouble.  They were in big trouble.  This was stupid, Ronon realized, stupid stuff and he was going to fail.

They were so far --- so far from…

“Ronon!  McKay!  What the hell?”

Sheppard?

Ronon tried to jerk his head upward, but the world seemed to tilt around him.  Somehow, they had reached the Gate.  Teyla was dialing the DHD.  Sheppard was beside him, his face taut as he grasped hold of his arm.

“Good,” Ronon muttered, smiling slightly at his commander.  He’d managed it.  He completed the task set to him.  Atlantis would keep its biggest brain.  Everything was fine.

Dex let out a sigh as the wormhole engaged.  Hardly able to focus, he released his grasp of the worried-looking scientist.  He smiled again, a quirk of the lips, and wanted to tell McKay that he could relax now, but he let Sheppard take over that responsibility.

PART 2: PATIENT

He woke up with a start, opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings.  Scents, sounds, sights assailed him as he quickly figured out his surroundings.

The infirmary – he’d never been so happy to see it.

They’d made it back to Atlantis.

Ronon allowed himself that victory and he took inventory of himself.  His side ached, but dulled with the numbness that comes from the wonders of their medicine.

He felt tired.  Enormously tired.  But he was alive.

Good.  It felt good to realize that.

He’d struggled against the odds and he’d succeeded in spite of everything stacked against him.  Ronon Dex had brought Dr. McKay safely home.

Good.  Yeah, that was good.

As he blinked and brought his eyes into focus, Ronon frowned.  McKay was in the bed beside him.  McKay was unmoving, his mouth slightly open, his eyes closed -- utterly still.

What?  Why?

And in the aisle between the beds, was Sheppard.  Ronon turned toward the colonel, seeing how he leaned far back in his chair, using McKay’s bed to support his back.  Legs were propped on his own bed.  Lazily, the colonel flipped cards into a kidney-shaped bowl near his feet.

“Mornin’,” Sheppard drawled without looking up from his game.

“Mmrff,” Ronon got out, bringing up one heavy hand to rub his face.

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Sheppard returned, continuing to lazily loft cards into the bowl.  “How you feeling?”

“McKay?” Ronon asked, lifting his gaze to the other patient.  He didn’t remember any harm coming to the scientist.  He’d done everything he could to keep that from happening.  Had McKay been hurt in spite of him?  “He all right?”

“He’s feeling no pain right now,” Sheppard said with a strange smile. “Teyla’s fine, too,” he added before Ronon could ask.  "Sucks that we didn't come back with a new power source or some nifty new scrolls, but we all came home."

“What happened?”

“You just about died,” Sheppard told him.  “Came pretty damn close.”

“Yeah,” Ronon replied, bringing one hand down to his side to press it against his bandaged side.  A dull pain radiated there.

“Beckett sewed you up,” John explained.

Ronon nodded numbly.  “He does good work.  Saved my life, huh?”

“That he did.  You had a pretty good hole in you.”  He nodded to Ronon. “I understand you got it by keeping McKay from getting hit.”

Ronon met Sheppard’s gaze.  “What happened to him?” he asked in a hush.  “I got him home.  Didn’t know he was hurt.”

Smiling, Sheppard explained, “Well, you were pretty out of it by the time you guys made it to the Gate.”  Sheppard sailed another card.  “Got to thank you for what you did.”

“I had to,” Ronon responded fiercely.

“It takes a brave man to jump in front of a bullet. You saved him."

"Yeah, got him home."

"Not so much," Sheppard returned, smiling slight, proudly.  "He’s the reason you’re here now.”

“How’s that?”

“He carried your sorry ass to the Gate."

Ronon frowned, puzzling.

John continued, " He had you mostly on his back and was dragging you when he got to us.  Don’t know for how far, but by the looks of him – and you – I’m betting it wasn’t a short distance.”

Ronon listened, dumbfounded. “He found his way to the Gate without help?"

Sheppard shrugged, as if he couldn't quite comprehend that ability.

"I kept him going.  Pushed him the whole way.”  Dex lifted a hand in pantomime of his action.  

Another chuckle and Sheppard said, “Well, you probably kept your feet longer than any of the rest of us could've managed, but by the time you got to the Gate, McKay was the one doing the heavy lifting.”

Ronon withdrew the hand, clenching it into a fist as he tried to remember.  Someone stumbled, someone fell, someone needed help to just keep moving, and his face grew long in realization.  “He carried me.”

“No mean feat.”

“He got hurt on the way?” Ronon asked quietly.

With a wry laugh, Sheppard stated, “After they got you settled here, Rodney kept coming in, complaining to Carson about his back."  He smiled.  " Carson's used to his complaining, but I'm sure Rodney felt like hell.”

Not speaking, Ronon tilted his head, gazing sidelong at Rodney.

Sheppard kept speaking, his tone light, but a sense of concern edged his words, “Carson finally had enough of Rodney and dosed him with something.”  John chucked.  “It was kind of amusing to see him go down.  The man tends to babble when he’s off his gourd.”

Perhaps expecting a chuckle from the Satedan, Sheppard looked surprised to see only a somber expression.  “You okay, Ronon?”  Sheppard asked, bringing all four legs of his chair to the floor.  He straightened the cards in his hands as he asked, “You want me to get someone?”

Ronon shook his head, not sure what he wanted.   He glanced to McKay.  The scientist slept, looking peaceful as a babe, looking hardly capable of toting one large Satedan through miles of Calabazan woodlands.

Dex was supposed to be the one watching out, protecting.  He wasn’t supposed to be the one needing help.

“I could’ve gotten him killed,” Ronon finally said hollowly.

With a jerk of the shoulders, Sheppard said, “Yeah, but you didn’t.”

“He shouldn’t have…”

“We don’t leave people behind, Ronon,” Sheppard stated.  He reached around one hand, and gave McKay a thump on the leg, and seemed amused to get only a quiet and happy sounding warble out of the man.  “And he’s made of tougher stuff than you think.”

Ronon could only nod in response.

PART 3: GENIUS

Ronon remained in the infirmary until Beckett released him.  The Satedan was too smart to disregard the doctor’s orders, and had too much respect for the doctor.  Beckett knew enough about the former runner to keep him for only the minimal advisable time-period.  The relationship worked well between them.

His team had the habit of taking shifts in the infirmary until their injured teammate awoke, but they had the common sense to wander elsewhere once the danger was gone.

Sheppard and Teyla had stopped by Ronon's bed several times during his infirmity, just to talk for a few moments and then discreetly leave.  He tired too easily, and they knew enough to leave before he embarrassed himself by falling asleep during their visit.  McKay, having been released after his medication had worn off, had been absent since then.  Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  Beckett had told Ronon that the scientist had been by several times, still complaining about his back, but always managing to pay his visits while Ronon was asleep.

Ronon didn’t know whether McKay was just ‘lucky’, or if the visits were paid with careful timing.

All in all, Ronon was glad to be out of that place of sickness and on his own again – even if he had been ordered to return to his room and ‘take it easy’.  But he’d had enough of sickbeds and stillness, and even though his side still ached, he had something he needed to do, and it would wait no longer.

Dex moved gingerly down the dim hallways, feeling the odd tug at his side where Beckett had skillfully stitched him back together.

His destination came into view fairly quickly, one of the large labs.  His target was here – he’d been assured so by one of the scientists that had been scuttling down the hallways.  As the door opened into another hallway, he wondered about McKay. 

He couldn’t quite grasp what drove the man.  McKay seemed soft and weak, yet he worked himself to exhaustion nearly every day.  It took something strong to manage that, didn’t it?

It was late.  The labs were otherwise empty, but as Ronon quietly trod through the hall, he could see one lit room on the far side of the complex.  He moved toward it.

He paused, standing in the doorway, and observed the man a moment.  McKay, stupidly oblivious to his presence, was leaning against a counter.  His eyes were closed as he hunched over some strange object.  He stretched his shoulders, first one and then another, his face drawn with pain.

Ronon realized that McKay wasn’t all bluster, his complaints weren’t only to draw attention.  Here, alone, there was no point to theatrics.  And Ronon Dex caused the injury.  McKay never should have had to take on the responsibility of hauling him home.  After all, Ronon was the muscle, and McKay was supposed to be the brain.

Ronon let out a soft sigh.

McKay’s head shot up as he stared at the figure in the doorway. “Who’s there?” he demanded.

Realizing that he was in shadow, Ronon quickly stated, “It’s me,” as he moved forward, into the light of the lab.

“Oh…” McKay responded, looking relived.  “Great.” His expression changed to alarm again.  “What’s wrong?  Something wrong?”

“No.  Nothing.”

“Oh, okay.”  Puzzlement was the new expression.  Ronon wondered if McKay had any idea how readable he was.  “So… why are you here?  I mean, aside from the fact that you should probably be in bed, aren’t you the guy who usually hits the sack early?  You know, early bird and worm and all that?”

Ronon didn’t even try to understand the comments.  “Meds got me all messed up,” he explained, wishing he’d taken a little of the pain medication that Beckett had given him.  His perforated side was starting to make its presence known.  “Been sleeping all day anyway.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.”  McKay waved a hand.  “But again, I ask, why are you here?”  He gestured toward the ancient device that he’d been fussing over.  “This isn’t exactly the sort of entertainment you usually seek out, is it?”

“No,” Ronon admitted.  He grimaced slightly, as the wound increased its ache.  Beckett was right.  He should have stayed in bed.  He really should sit down.

Ronon lurched forward, into the room, and was surprised by the latest look that crossed McKay’s face.  He looked scared.  Was McKay frightened of him now?  Well, after the abuse he’d laid on the man, was it any wonder?

Instead of shirking backward, McKay grabbed a lab chair from beside the counter and slung it around, slamming it down in front of the former runner.  “Would you sit down before you get yourself killed for real?”

With a grimace, Ronon sat, mortified by his weakness.

McKay went on, “ ‘Cause I really don’t think I’d be able to get you up again if you went down.”  He rubbed one hand absently at the small of his back.  “I’ve taken all of the Dex-toting I can handle.”

“Yeah,” Ronon said softly.  “I… well… it wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”  He looked away, stating, “You shouldn’t have had to … carry me… back to the Gate.”

McKay scowled and snapped out, “You got that right!”

Ronon paused a moment, surprised at the outburst.  But it was completely understandable, he decided, and justifiable.  Ronon continued, “I know.  I’m the one who’s supposed to be watching out for you.  Not the other way around.” He paused slightly, then tried to say,  “I was only yelling at you because that's what Sheppard does."

"What?  And that gives you free rein to jump all over me?"

"You should have left…”

“I should have left you?” Rodney echoed sharply.

Ronon didn’t nod.  “It was my responsibility to see that you returned safely.  I should have figured out that I wouldn’t be able to make it to the Gate.  I should’ve sent you on without me.”

McKay looked furious.  “What do you mean?  We DID make it to the Gate.”

“You could’ve been captured or killed,” Ronon responded.  “You should’ve left me.  You’re too important.”

Turning about, McKay stormed toward the counter, slapping one hand down on the surface making a sharp sound.  “Don’t!” he bit out.  “Don’t start that!”

Ronon could understand McKay’s anger, it didn't take a genius to figure out that McKay had ended up with a bad deal -- having to tote the 'muscle' home.  He opened his mouth to speak, but McKay cut him off, his face red, spouting, “Too important?  How dare you say that, you… you… stupid ape!”

Crinkling his brow at the moniker, Ronon recalled something about large primates. It seemed a bit harsh, but it was deserved.

McKay went on, his voice crackling with rage, “Jumping in front of a bullet? That’s like the worst movie cliché ever!  What the hell were you thinking?”

Ronon sat back, surprised.  “Trying to save your life,” he tried.

“You ever try shouting ‘get down’?  Because, I have to tell you, I’m pretty good at hitting the ground.”

“Wasn’t time for it,” Ronon told him.

“And jumping around like a lunatic is faster than just shouting ‘duck’?” McKay scowled.  “You figured getting killed was a good solution, huh?”

“I was just trying to get you out of the way.”

“Yeah, by jumping in front of a projectile designed to tear holes into your body and KILL YOU!”

“I was trying to save your life.”

“By ‘taking the bullet’?”  McKay’s anger seemed to draw back a bit, replaced with something else.  “You wouldn’t even let me try to bandage it.”

“There wasn’t time.”

“It was stupid.  You could have died.  Could have bled to death.  Do you know how close you were to dying?  Do you have any idea how scared I was?”

“I had to do it.”

“What?  Trade your life for mine?  Is that what you were doing?”

Ronon regarded the scientist a moment, seeing the distress written all over his face.  Finally, he said, “You’re too valuable to Atlantis.”

McKay’s face twisted again, as he spat out, “And you’re not?”  

"You're... you're the genius.  Me... I'm just one of the 'boneheads'." Ronon used a phrase he'd heard bandied about Atlantis.

McKay turned again.  He looked, strangely, hurt by Ronon's comment.  "No," he said softly.

"I'm not the important one," Ronon went on.  "Sacrifices must be made to save those that are worth more."

"Now, that was a bonehead remark!" McKay sniped, gesturing wildly, “Don’t!  Don’t even TRY to convince me of that.  I can’t stand it!  I just can’t stand that anymore!”

Ronon was silent, watching McKay as the physicist leaned on the counter and lowered his head.  

Rodney whispered, “Why do people keep doing that to me?”  His voice caught for a moment and he went on, “Why do they do that?  I mean, Griffin knew he was going to die and he just… he just shut that door… to save me.  It must have been a horrible when the water…” He stopped, blinking his eyes, then restarted with.  “He made a ridiculous decision.  Don’t you see how absurd that was?”

“Maybe he…” Ronon tried.

McKay kept talking, “People are always dying around me.  They just keep dying.  Gall -- good God.  He... he killed himself so that I could help Sheppard.  Right in front of me.  Just shot himself to save me."  McKay's voice was soft, disbelieving.  His eyes became distant in the memory.  "And Abrams and Dumais and Peterson and Wagner and Johnson and Hays and Lindstrom and Collins -- God, I’m sorry about that – and Grodin.  Grodin… I should have…”  He paused, swallowed, then added, “So many others.  People just keep dying.”

Ronon said nothing.  He’d seen plenty of death, but he was a soldier, he was supposed to see death, wasn’t he?  It was never easy though… never.

“No more dying!” McKay grumbled.  “I’m sick of it!  I am so tired of having people DIE all around me.  I won’t have it out of you.”  He turned again, moving away from the counter.  “Next time, just say, ‘Get down!’  I get down really quickly.”

“Okay,” Ronon responded stiffly.

“No more throwing yourself in front of the bullet because that really SUCKS.”

“Okay,” Ronon said again, the phrase something he never had spoken before he’d been in Atlantis.

“And no more talk about leaving you behind,” McKay declared.  “You know how the colonel is about that.  He has this fantastic ideal about not leaving people.”  He was leaning on the counter again, obviously still feeling the pain in his back.  "And it's not as if you're still... 'running'.  You have people around that actually give a damn about what happens to you -- Teyla and the colonel, Beckett even."

“Sorry,” Ronon said, nodding when Rodney looked at him.  “ ‘Bout your back,” he concluded.

“Yeah… well,” McKay replied.  “Could have been worse… I mean it's stopped hurting for the most part.  Just when I get tired it acts up.”

“Yeah,” Ronon responded and for a moment they said nothing.

“So, we got this straight?” McKay finally said.  “You’re not going to get yourself killed because of me, right?  You’re not going to purposefully go kamikaze to save me, because, that’s just ludicrous, stupid.”

Ronon remembered how McKay had risked his life to save Cadman, how he came to Sateda in spite of his injury.  He remembered hearing how McKay had drowned, sacrificed his life in an alternative universe in a hopeless attempt to save the others.  He’d heard of the incident with energy beast.  And then there was the business with the overdose of Wraith enzyme.  Stupid and risky choices – meant only to ensure the safety of others.

When Ronon didn’t answer, McKay raised his head and said, “No more stupid moves, okay?”

“Yeah,” Ronon responded.

“Is that a promise?”  McKay asked, sounding hopeful.  “I mean, you can protect me all you want, but no more of the ‘stupid stuff’, right?”

“No stupid stuff,” Ronon agreed.

“Great.” McKay straightened slowly.  “I’m going to bed,” he declared.  He winced, moving his shoulders.  “Beckett gave me some pills that’d help with the... you know..." he grimaced again.  "Said it’d knock me out though.”

“I should be going back, too,” Ronon stated, standing with some difficulty.  “I think he gave me the same stuff.”

Rodney gestured to the door and they both hobbled their way out.  They moved side-by-side down the hallway, and Ronon glanced toward the scientist as Rodney staggered along.

Sheppard had said that Rodney was made of ‘tough stuff’.  Ronon realized that now, even as the scientist made pathetic whimpering sounds as he moved.

Ronon chuckled at a particularly wretched noise from McKay.  Rodney glared at him in return.  

“What?” McKay snarled.

“You’re grumpy when you’re in pain.”

“Oh, don’t start with that,” Rodney grumbled churlishly.  “You were one hell of a good time when I was hauling you back to the Gate, an endless barrel of laughs, all daffodils and sunshine.”

Ronon laughed again, stopping short as his side shot through with pain.  The grunt of discomfort got a smug smile out of McKay.

Yeah, they’d made an agreement, no more ‘stupid stuff’ -- but that didn’t mean Ronon would keep his end of the deal.  Sometimes, he just couldn’t help being stupid for certain things.

THE END

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