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“You’re pregnant.” Carson sits down, crossing his hands in his lap.
“Can you stop saying that!” Rodney snaps. “It’s impossible.!” He sits up on the bed, fumbling with the several tubes going into his arm.
Carson sighs. “Look this is you, I am sure you can read a diagram” he points at a screen. “These three little wee things are the babies growing in ya belly.”
“Do you have to go into that much detail?!” Rodney's voice is shrill. “Nope, no this is not happening.” He stares at the screen with an abject terror, shaking his head. “It must have been the pod. Yes, the pod. That thing must have been responsible.” He throws his feet over the edge of the medical bed, hissing as he yanks out the tubes. “If I go back in, it can take whatever… those are out again.” He nods.
“Rodney!” Carson jumps up. “You need to stay in the infirmary.”
“No, I don’t! I need to get to the pod.” He pulls the last needle out with a hiss. “I know what I'm doing” he looks down. “What the fuck am I wearing” he smooths his hands over the medical gown taking a short pause before moving again, heading straight for the door.
Carson sighs again with a roll of the eyes. “You do not understand what condition you are in. If you do not lie down before the next wave of growth you are going to faint.”
“I do not faint!” he glances back briefly before turning a corner.
Carson doubles his efforts to catch up. “Zelenka is looking at the pod and he informs me there is no way to reverse what it did to you!”
“I am fine and Zelenka would not know what it can or can’t do if he spent a year!” he tries to move faster.
“You are not fine, I’m the doctor here!” he tries to grab the man by the shoulder. Rodney avoids it at the last minute by turning another corner. “Rodney stop for a minute for once!” Carson huffs.
Rodney ignores him but stops anyway, furrowing his brow. “Yup okay, that hurt.” He breathes in and out, leaning against the wall.
“Okay, Rodney, just breath, and let's get back ---”
“Breathe oh yes that’s, very helpful, I was going to forget to breathe all of a sudden.” He snaps. “Forget a basic human function--- shit” he groans, turning to press his back against the cool wall, sinking.
“Rodney I need you to get up, your body needs the proteins the IV’s were providing.” Carson kneels, speaking evenly.
“Yup, yup, that sounds like a plan.” He huffs. “Let me just…” he pushes up against the wall, unsuccessfully. “Nope, nope that’s not gonna work,” he breathes out.
“Rodney, I will pick you up and carry you like a damsel” Carson shifts his weight.
“As if you could lift me--- ngh” he flinches. “This is ridiculous!”
“You are five months---”
“Do not even finish that sentence. I am getting up…” he groans with effort. “And then you are getting these things out of me!!!” He nods, sucking in a deep breath and getting to his feet with one burst of effort.
“See, I’m goo…d” he sways, unbalanced. “That was… not a good plan…” He squints as his vision blurs. The room sways and he tilts forward.
“Rodney!” Carson scrambles to his feet. “Blimey!” he groans, catching the man. “Stretcher to floor two!” he activates his communicator with a shake of the head.
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“How long does he have?” Weir stands in her usual posture, arms crossed, a look between disapproval and worry etched across her face. She looks at Rodney whose face twists with a mixture of pain and restless dreams.
“If this were a normal situation” Carson sighs, again. He has been doing that much more since he joined the expedition. “I would say several months, but considering we only discovered he was pregnant five hours ago, I’d say by tonight…” he shakes his head. “The little ones are growing faster than the instruments can keep up.” He gestures at the pad resting on the table as it keeps flickering as updates come through.
“Is there anything we can do to remove them early?” she pinches the bridge of her nose. “Can his body even handle this?”
Carson shakes his head. “No, he is well past the three months mark, we did not notice it early enough.” He turns in the chair. “Normally…” he pauses, if anything could ever be normal in this place “I would say his body can't handle it but whatever the pod did, it changed his body to be compatible with such an experience.”
“And we can’t put him back into the pod?” she shifts her weight.
“We probably could have if it was still working, but I don’t think Rodney would appreciate being changed that way.” Carson gestures with a shrug. “The best-case scenario is doing a Caesarean when the time comes. I believe that is the safest way.”
“That is so not an option! No and no!” His eyes flutter open. He tries to sit up. His arms tremble before giving out. He falls back onto the pillow with a groan.
“It is not a choice you have Rodney. The babies are going to try to get out like it or not.” Carson turns back towards his bed. “Your body is not made to do it any other way, so we are going to do this.”
“No, I absolutely refuse! I am not letting some ancient from ten thousand years ago use me as a….” he chokes. “I feel sick.” He covers his mouth. “I am going to get up and look at that pod and … and…” he gasps as pain shakes his body. “As soon as I can move… Carson cant you give me something…??” Rodney groans.
“Not at this stage, you just need to stay put Rodney.” Carons rolls his eyes. “Or next time you faint buck naked in the hall I am just going to leave you there.”
“I did not… faint… I just, it was my way of taking a quick nap.” He tilts his head, lips pursed.
“Oh really now, well next time you decide to take a quick nap, I'll make sure not to wake you.” Carson rolls his eyes.
“Carson is right, you can't go anywhere, Rodney.” Weir looks at him, moving away from her thoughts.
“But..” he starts.
“No buts, that is an order.” Weir takes a step closer with a nod. “Have you actually looked at yourself in the last hour?” she gestures.
Rodney furrows his brow, angling his gaze down. “Oh god I look like a wale, no, no, this can't be happening” he starts to hyperventilate. “You are the medical expert here, tell me this isn’t possible and is just a dream.” He swallows, “… a very messed up dream.” He looks at Carson with panicked eyes
“Rodney you need to ca---”
“Calm down!??? Seriously that’s your best advice, calm down???” he shouts, shrill. “I…I’m…” he gestures with shaking hands. “I can’t do this! I never wanted kids! These ancients don’t have any right to, to…”
“Rodney, look at me” Carson sits forward. Elizabeth takes a step back. “If you don’t calm down, you could trigger an early labor, and that will not end well for you or the little ones” he keeps his breaths even, staring into the man’s eyes.
“I… I … what does even do with children!? Where are they going to stay??? This is not happening.” He shakes his head.
“We can figure all that out later, for now, I need you to take even breaths.” Carson continues into that same firm voice. Rodney swallows, then nods.
“It is best he rests now.” Carson looks up at Elizabeth with a nod.
“Yes, well. If you need anything, everyone is here for you Rodney” Her expression is somewhere between a smile and confusion.
“Oh yes, if I need advice from Ronan the Barbarian or any of you on how to teach kids how to use knives I’ll ask” he scoffs.
She sighs. “Okay, I will keep that in mind and inform Ronan he will have some students.” She grins, stepping out of the room.
“Wait no! Don’t actually tell him anything!” he shouts after her “I don’t want everyone to know!” he pushes up for a second before falling back. “Shit”
Carson huffs. “Stay still. This will take all night, so you better take it easy from this point on.”
Rodney opens his mouth---
“And do not argue! I have had enough of that.” Carson interrupts, standing up.
Rodney mutters something under his breath but doesn’t argue. Leaning back against the pillow and closing his eyes, trying to focus on keeping lucid past the pain.
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“How is it going here” Sheppard comes to a stop in one of the numerous research rooms around Atlantis.
“Not well.” Zelenka looks up. “The pod stores genetic information left behind the ancients.” He points at the screen. “The ones that got… implanted in Rodney were three out of thousands.” He bites his lip.
“How did he get in the pod in the first place.” Sheppard crosses his arms, wrinkling his nose as he looks at the pod.
“Well, it’s Rodney.” He pushes up his glasses with a roll of the eyes. “The pod should not have had any power but apparently it's on its own power generator looking for viable hosts” he gestures at the screen. “So Rodney decided it was a good idea to access the inside panel and try to fix it. Then the pod closed and did whatever it is it did.” He points at a panel that hangs open.
“So that thing is keeping a bunch of mini ancients… and three of them are in Rodney.” Sheppard circles the pod.
“Yes, that’s what I figure.” Zelenka nods, reading over the screen.
“So if anybody else goes in there…”
“They will be implanted” Zelenka finishes the thought.
“Right, That’s not an option.” Sheppard steps away from it. “Anyway to shut it down?”
“Probably but that would mean losing all the genetic data the ancients left behind. It would be like killing a thousand newborns. I don’t think we want that.” He looks up, fixing his glasses again.
“No, not really. Is it draining our power?” Sheppard walks around the control console.
“No, as I said, it is on a separate generator, that seems to be powered by some other source of power.” He types across the keys. “I will need to spend more time to make sure.” He furrows his brow. “Either way, there is no way to reverse the process.”
“Yeah, we figured that. “ Sheppard nods. “Call if you make sense of anything else.” He nods, taking one last look at the data.
“Will do” Zelenka says after a moment. Sheppard left long before he answered.
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“Okay Rodney, This is going to knock you out.” Carson secures one of the IV’s, checking the levels.
“Oh great! I was looking forward to taking a nice nap, and wake up to find this was a nice dream where none of this happened… ow, ow… you can numb me any minute now!” he groans.
“Just take it easy.” Carson moves around the bed, checking his tools again.
“I could take it easy if I didn’t have three creatures ripping me open like I was in one of those Alien movies!” he digs his hands into the blanket as another wave of pain rocks.
“It will start taking effect in the next thirty seconds.” Carson moves to the medical readouts.
“Thirty seconds! That’s like a lifetime, do you understand HOW Much this hurts.” He growls. “Why didn’t we do this earlier!?” He sighs with relief as the medicine starts to kick in. “Oooh, oooh, that’s so much better.” He laughs.
“I’m sure” Carson rolls his eyes. “I will count down from ten.”
“You people and your arbitrary numbers. Why does it matter how much time something takes in the first place… You could say twenty… or thirty and… and” his eyes flutter shutter and he falls back, unconscious.
“Okay everyone let's get to work!” he waves the other members of his staff. “We have to move fast!” He puts on gloves.
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Rodney opens his eyes with a snap. “That’s a headache, what happened.” He groans looking around.
“Rodney, don’t move. I just stitched you up.” Carson moves to his side.
“Is it over?” He sits up. “Are they gone? Am I gonna live?”
“Yes, you’re fine. Do you want to see them?” Carson smiles. “They are cute wee little babies, I’d say they even have your eyes---”
“No…! I mean… yes… maybe…” he licks his lips. “Are they… really mine…”
“Yes, the DNA checks out, they are half Rodney, half Ancient.” He points at one of the screens.
“What?” Rodney squints. “Oh yes great, that’s very scientific and specific”
“Do you want to see them or not?” Carson crosses his arms.
“Yes! I did say yes okay!” He snaps.
“Let’s get you up then.” Carson moves around the side of the bed. “Just sit up slowly.”
“I got this, there is no need to mother me!” He leans on Beckett anyway as he gets up. They move slowly across the room, much to Rodney’s annoyance.
“They are just over here.” Carson points at a door across the hall.
Rodney swallows, hesitating. “Nope, this is a bad idea. If I see them I am going to get attached right, right?” he shakes his head. “And they aren’t mine, mine. Like, I can’t keep them, right.” He swallows. “This is a bad idea, I am going back, yes.”
“Rodney, I swear you cry more than the babies, we are going to see them whether you like it or not. I have other work to do.” Carson takes a step and turns them around.
“Wait!”
“Oh just shut up and see your babies.” He leads Rodney across the short distance and into the room.
“This is not a good…idea…” he trails off as he looks down into the clear crib that is monitoring them. “… and they are healthy” he whispers quietly, all of a sudden afraid to wake them.
“Yes, you and the babies are perfectly healthy” He smiles, stepping away as Rodney leans against the glass barrier, head tilted as he looks at the babies.
“Thought of what to name them?” Carson brushes a hand over one of the sleeping infant's cheeks.
“Name…” Rodney blinks, confusion flashing over his face for a brief moment. “Oh yes names!” he claps, then winces as a baby shifts. “They will need that… won’t they. Do I have any rights to do that? I mean they are ancients right, not actually mine?” he bites his lip “Wouldn’t they have names in the database … or .. or---”
“Rodney, you are overthinking this… I need you to relax…” Worry creases his brow for the dozenth time that day.
“Can you stop saying that! This is big okay, bigger than anything …! I mean babies that’s babies that came out of… oh god.” He sways. “I'm good, I'm good! Stop worrying.” He holds a hand up. One of the babies shifts and starts to cry, a loud piercing scream. “Oh no, nono… I'm sorry. Carson what did I do! Why is it making that sound.”
“Oh, she's just crying. This is perfectly normal.” He bends down to take the middle child that has started crying. He lifts it gently. “Here, hold out your arms.”
“You want me to hold that thing! No way!” he takes a step back.
“It is not a thing! It’s a little precious girl. Take her before she wakes the others, like this…” Carson pushes the child towards him. Rodney scrambles to take the child the way Carson shows him. She doesn’t quiet. He freezes, standing rigid.
“Well don’t stand there like a stump!” Carson rolls his eyes. “Hold her gently, rock her a little bit.” He makes a rocking gesturing.
Rodney frowns, trying to mimic the gesture but is as stiff as before. “This is not working! I am not a parent… my sister is the one who wanted… !” he whispers harshly, gesturing “…This! Whatever it is…” he shakes his head.
Carson sighs, “You are doing fine Rodney and I will be here to teach you every step of the way, should you decide to keep them that is…” he looks pointedly.
“Oh no, don’t put that on me. How is this place any good for babies!?” he hisses. “We face death every day and you want to raise little creatures… granted they are ancients but still!” he growls.
“It's not so bad, at least she fell asleep.” Carson smiles.
“Oh” Rodney looks down, he laughs weakly “Look at that I guess she did.”
“Besides, there are going to be a lot more little ones aboard Atlantis soon, so they will have company” he guides Rodney to put the baby down into her place again. The scientist breathes out in relief.
“Wait, more!?” He furrows his brow, looking up at Carson.
“There were at least several thousand children there, and a few volunteers have offered to take them, and more will be sent from earth.”
“Really, people actually agree to that??” he blinks.
“There are a lot of people who want kids Rodney. ” He looks at the babies, the soft smile almost making him glow. “Also the others did offer to babysit so I don’t think you are getting rid of these three beauties.”
Rodney swallows. “Yeah… okay… yeah.” He nods. “I'll do it, yes.” He nods again.
Carson looks at him slowly. “Are you certain Rodney? They will have a family on Atlantis still if you don’t feel up to.”
“No, yeah I’m up to it… probably. Jeanie would never let me live this down if I gave them away before she saw them anyway... right ...yeah” He sniffs, swallowing again. “But for now I think I want to get back to uh bed, I can’t quite see straight.” He laughs weakly.
“Oh yes, right. Come on now, let's get you rest.” Carson moves closer to support him. “Then you can think on some names.”
“I’ve always been partial to naming my firstborn if I ever had one that is… though I suppose that boat has sailed… anyway I’d name him… hmm nono. I have to think about this I can’t go into this without picking the best name ever. Yes.” He rambles.
Carson laughs. “Remember you will have to pick three if you are serious.”
“Yes, thank you. I am well aware of that.” He groans as Carson helps him to bed.
“Good, well I will leave you to it, Rodney. I will check up on you in the next hour.” He moves to leave.
“Yeah okay fine.” Rodney grabs one of the pads by the bed and gets engrossed in something, waving him off.
Carson smiles with a nod and leaves.