skeddy_kat: (Default)
skeddy_kat ([personal profile] skeddy_kat) wrote2008-10-26 06:42 pm

Fic: Silent Treatment (A Story for Halloween)

Title: Silent Treatment
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Length: 600ish words
Author's Notes: Warning - this is a Halloween story, expect creepy things. Many, many thanks to [livejournal.com profile] kimberlyfdr for her thorough and speedy beta job. Any remaining errors are all mine.
Summary: After spending a few years stranded with only each other for company, the cracks are beginning to show.



John climbed the hill, singing softly under his breath, “Don’t take your guns to town, son. Leave your guns at home, Bill.” The sun was shining, his leg wasn’t bothering him, and he’d trapped two rabbils in his snares. All in all, he’d had an excellent day.

“Rodney, I’m back,” he called out as he reached the hulk of the crashed puddlejumper, but no one answered. Rodney must still be mad at him. That morning they had argued fiercely and Rodney had made it clear that he planned to spend the entire day ignoring John. “I brought tasty squirbits, already dressed and ready to cook.” Maybe the offer of his favorite hard-to-catch treat would soften Rodney up. They were rather like rabbits and even more like squirrels. John and Rodney had spent days arguing over the best name for the critters in the beginning. Now, John made sure never to call them the same thing twice in a row. He knew it irritated Rodney.

John kept up a nonstop flow of conversation as he moved around camp, setting up dinner. He moved past Rodney as often as possible, stopping each time to say, “Excuse me, Dr. McKay.” He could tell he was getting to Rodney, but McKay never cracked.

“Looks like the sun is nearly down, and I think the long-tailed hopper is roasted up nicely. ‘What perfect timing,’ you say? Why thank you, Rodney.” He offered McKay his share of the meat.

“By the way, thanks for replenishing the firewood today. ‘But I didn’t get around to it,’ you say. And I snort in derision at your total failure to recognize sarcasm.” He was pretty sure he’d gotten an eyebrow rise from Rodney on that one. “I mean, if I go out and catch us food and haul the water, all on a bad leg, it hardly seems fair that I have to gather the firewood, too.” Rodney continued to ignore him.

After dinner, John moved closer to the fire. His leg always bothered him more at night as the temperature dropped. John offered Rodney a spot, but he was still being studiously ignored.

John lay back with his head pillowed on his rolled-up sleeping bag, watching stars now as familiar to him as those on Earth. “Do you think they miss us, back on Atlantis? I think Ronon and Teyla do. Man, I’d like to see Torren. I bet he’s nearly as big as Jinto was when we first saw him. I wonder about it sometimes, you know; how they’re doing, if the city is ok, if they’re still looking. I wonder about Carson and Keller and even Dave and Jeannie. Don’t you miss them sometimes?

“Come on, damn it, talk to me. I apologize for whatever I did that set you off. Don’t be so damn stubborn, Rodney, you win. Now answer me, because you’re pissing me off.” He sat up and snatched the rolled sleeping bag, flinging it at McKay and hitting him in the head.

“Oh, damn, Rodney, I’m sorry.” John leapt to his feet and ran over to pick up McKay’s head from where the sleeping bag had knocked it. He set the skull carefully back at the base of the neck. “It’s your own fault, you know. I hate it when you give me the silent treatment.”

Rodney still didn’t answer.

[identity profile] bluebrocade.livejournal.com 2008-10-26 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my god. *shudders* Creepily good.

[identity profile] fractalreality.livejournal.com 2008-10-26 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I read creepy but missed bad, so really wasn't expecting that!

Very nicely done.

[identity profile] argosy.livejournal.com 2008-10-26 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
ext_2027: (Default)

[identity profile] astridv.livejournal.com 2008-10-26 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
*shivers*
Brrr. Nice!

[identity profile] erda-3.livejournal.com 2008-10-26 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Now I'm all traumatized and can never read fanfiction again. Hee! Just kidding, this cracked me up.

[identity profile] wraithfodder.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
Oh whoa, creepy ending!!! :):)
ext_2410: (All About Rodney)

[identity profile] kimberlyfdr.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
It's still disturbing and I've read it multiple times. REALLY good and original, creepy and right for the season. Great job! :)

[identity profile] openmydoors.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Really nice development of mood. *shivers*

[identity profile] ceitie.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Creeeeeepy. Like a creepy, creepy version of Wilson in Castaway. Only creepier. Yep. :D
sholio: sun on winter trees (Shrine-Rodney back)

[personal profile] sholio 2008-10-27 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
D:

Nicely done -- I had a feeling where it was going when Rodney never answered back, but it was definitely an OMGWTFBBQ moment when his head fell off.

p.s. I added this to the list of Halloween recs at [livejournal.com profile] stargategenrec. creeeeeepy! :)
Edited 2008-10-27 01:04 (UTC)

[identity profile] sulien.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
I had a bad feeling about this and I was right. Great ficlet, nicely creepifying! *shudders*

[identity profile] pisces227.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Very creepy. Well done!

[identity profile] maisierita.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
The warning of creepiness had me prepped in some way for the ending.

But that was okay, because I enjoyed it anyway. Very much. And it was so cute and short I read it twice. :)

[identity profile] trishkafibble.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
That is just uber-cool! Just kinda neat and screwball, 'til you really think about it--'cause I think I can actually see that happening to John, actually imagine him keeping Rodney's body around because he can't stand the knowledge that he's dead, and he himself is completely alone. At which point, the story becomes exceedingly creepy indeed!! Very, very well done. Bravo!

[identity profile] syble4.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
Ewwwwww, but in a nice way. Very Creepy!

[identity profile] clpm-9.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 10:04 am (UTC)(link)
Very good & very creepy.

[identity profile] jya-bd-cp-ttgb.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 12:47 pm (UTC)(link)
*heart breaks*

Rodney never got out of the jumper after it crashed, did he? The argument, the deciding the squirbit was Rodney's favorite food...that was all in John's head...

Oh my god. *brain explodes*

[identity profile] almostnever.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
As advertised: CREEPY. Poor John. O.o

[identity profile] a-celtic-pirate.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
*whimpers*
you gave me goosebumps and creeeeeped me out. uberly. (this reminds me of a nightmare I had about SGA...no joke. sad.)

[identity profile] adafrog.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Freaky. Poor John, though.

[identity profile] monkey-junkey.livejournal.com 2008-10-27 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesome Halloween fic, and very in-character, I thought!
scheherezhad: Nightwing giving thumbs-up, "Dick Approves" (approval)

[personal profile] scheherezhad 2008-10-28 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
*shivers* Oh, that. That makes me really uncomfortable in just the right way. Poor, crazy John. :(

[identity profile] kriadydragon.livejournal.com 2008-10-28 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, wicked! Nice and twisted. Me like :D
ext_1117: (Default)

[identity profile] emeraldteal.livejournal.com 2008-10-28 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
That was perfect.

Poor John, though. :/

Page 1 of 2