On a Razor's Edge (PG-13, Death fic)

[camshaft22.livejournal.com]

Title: On a Razor’s Edge
Author: Camshaft 22
Pairing: Evan Lorne/David Parrish
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Warning: This is Death Fic, meaning someone will die. Cross posted to slashing_lorne and parrish_lorne comms. Written for clwilson2006

Evan Lorne coughed into his hand as they walked towards the Stargate. David took a look at him. “You ok?”

“Oh yeah... I think I’m just coming down with something... I’ll be alright. It might be a cold or something...” he said with a scoff. “All the way in another galaxy and I still get common colds. Or maybe they’re Pegasus Colds..” he said as he rambled a bit.

David smiled softly as he touched his wrist. “God... You are hot.”

“Mmm, thanks baby...” Evan said, bumping up against him as David stopped.

“Lieutenant Cadman! Feel his head...” David told her as she warmed her hand and touched his forehead.

She gasped and pulled away. “Yikes...” Laura said, pulling out a temp tab and putting it on his forehead. “Reed, call ahead. He’s feverish,” she ordered as Reed took off with a run,  going to the Stargate.  Laura looked at the read out. “Cripes..” she breathed out in a hush. “Major, your temperature is a 105. We need to get you through the gate asap,” Laura told him, wondering just how the hell he was standing up.

“Are... How is that possible?” Evan asked, confused.

“I’m not sure, Sir, but we’re carrying you to the gate,” Laura told him as David took him and picked him up as his eyes rolled back into his head.

“I’ve got him, Laura... Let’s get him home...” David said as they took off running towards the Stargate where Reed was holding the door open. She nodded and they went through the Stargate. Keller was already waiting. “All of you come with me and get into quaruntine. Take off your clothes. We need to make sure it wasn’t something off the planet!” she told them rapidly.

They were shoved into isolation as they took off their clothing and redressed in scrubs. After being put through scanners and every other test, they were released. David when straight to Keller. “Dr. Keller?”

Jennifer turned to look at him. “Dr. Parrish... What can I do for you today?” she asked, looking slightly dismayed.

“I need... What’s happening to Evan?” David asked, seeing the look on her face and feeling a tendril of fear.

“We don’t know yet... and I wish to God he did... I’ve asked Teyla and Ronon as well. They’ve never seen anything like this. But I’m working on it. He’s... Do you want to sit in there? He’s not contagious... we would’ve already seen signs by now...” she told him.

David didn’t even hesitate, moving to get to him. Jennifer looked at them, closing her eyes and turned back to work, knowing there wasn’t an easy fix for this. That there wasn’t going to be some shrine like with Rodney.

Evan slept as David took a seat next to him, seeing how pale he looked. So... unlike himself. He laid his head down and took Evan’s hand. It was... He was still getting used  to it. Being able to show his feelings like  this... He leaned over and kissed his hand, wishing that he felt better and worried, wondering what it could be, making him this sick.

***
Evan woke, feeling horrible. His body ached and he was freezing. “David?” he croaked as his boyfriend jerked awake.

“Evan... Thank God. You woke up. Let me go get Keller-”

“No. I mean... Not yet... What’s wrong with me?” Evan asked, wanting him near, wanting him closer.

“They don’t know yet... Which is why I should get Keller... Don’t worry. I won’t leave you, ok?” David promised as Evan looked at him and finally nodded. Evan looked around, feeling dizzy and a little disoriented. This was... This was Atlantis. Home. But God, why did everything feel so distant...? Usually Atlantis was a gentle hum... why couldn’t he feel Atlantis?

Jennifer entered the room, taking a look at the monitors. “Major... “ she started then checked his heart rate.

“Doctor... I can’t feel Atlantis... why can’t I feel Atlantis?” Evan asked, slightly panicking.

“I need you to calm down, Major. I’m sure it’s nothing. Just calm down... I can’t help you if you’re panicking.”

Evan looked at her and forced himself to calm down. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me...” he said weakly.

“It’s quite alright... just need you to be calm,” Jennifer told him as she took his temperature  and checked the monitors. “You’ve still got a bad fever... That might be interfering with feeling the city... Nurse! I need to get him cooled down!” Jennifer called out worriedly.

David hovered out of the way, trying to be there but not get in the way. The nurses brought some ice packs and started laying them over his wrists and forehead.  Evan shivered slightly, knowing they had to get his fever down. He looked at David then closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable.

Jennifer gave him a shot and some Tylenol to work on getting the sickness out of his system and his fever cooled. This was such a fast acting virus… She looked at his readings again and started another IV to keep him hydrated.

David watched them, wondering if there was anything he could do, helpless was not something he particularly liked but this was so damn beyond him.

***
David walked into Greenhouse Four. Katie blinked in surprise, opening her mouth to ask a question that David saw coming. “Evan is sleeping more and more, there’s no… They don’t want me there all the time. I’m… I’m not in the way per se, but I am in the way. Plus… I’m just sitting there. I need to work.”

“David… You’re not going to do well re-potting like this… but some sleep would do you some good.”

“If I go to sleep, I might miss him waking up…”

“David. It’s been a week. You haven’t slept. Please… Please. You’ll wake up. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m worried about him. He’s laying there, wasting away and no one knows a damn thing!” David said, his voice rising. “Why don’t they help him?!” he shouted.

Katie looked at him and pulled him into a hug. “They’re trying… Ok? They’re trying. But you’ve got to cool it. You getting upset won’t help. If it did, then I’d toss the table over.”
David looked at her and chuckled, blinking back tears. “Thank you. So much.”

“You’re welcome. Now go to sleep. Even if it’s in the corner. Sleep,” Katie urged him as David nodded, heading to his office where a cot was.

Katie watched him go, wanting to burst into tears herself.

***

Evan looked at Dr. Keller in disbelief. “I… How is that possible?”

“I wish I knew, Major, but the truth of it is… your Ancient Gene is gone. It’s been turned off by the virus. All your cells are turning inert… This shouldn’t be possible. I’m working on seeing if I can undo this, but you need to… You need to prepare.”

“You’re telling me that I’m DYING? That, that, I should prepare for me DYING?” Evan asked, starting to cough and bending over, coughing up some blood. He pulled his hand away and looked at the mucus and the blood in his hand. Evan looked at her. “Oh God.”

“I’m sorry Major… I wish… I wish,” she said.

Evan nodded. “So do I. Get me a computer,” he rasped, wiping his hand on the sheet.

Jennifer handed him hers. “I haven’t given up yet. Just… Let’s be prepared.”

“Boy Scout’s motto… too bad I was never one,” Evan told her. “I… Could I have some time?”

“Certainly. I need to check the latest readings anyway…” Jennifer told him, leaving him alone.

Evan laid back, hurting and feeling so helpless. He closed his eyes and forced himself to do his duty. If there was one thing he wanted to be remembered for… it would be doing his duty. Being a good soldier. He could write his goodbyes.

***

David is familiar with the five stages of grief. He’s been through them both front and back and some side to side. Except acceptance. He’ll never accept this. Never. He denied it, he got angry. A lot really. David also took up praying, trying to bargain for more time with Evan but got nothing. He also found himself very depressed… but there was no way he’d ever accept this happening. Jennifer had told him and Evan that it wouldn’t be too much longer…

They finally figured it out about a day ago, when it was too late to do a damn thing about it, when Ladon Radim contacted the city telling them about Cowen’s other pet scientist, one that specialized in disease warfare, trying to wipe out the Wraith through disease instead of nukes. He supposedly didn’t know that their version of Dr. Mengele, who had been outsed from Cowen’s inner circle for experimenting on the dying, had been there on the planet. Radim found his notes about using a virus to kill the Wraith, using his samples taken from the People with the Ancient Gene for a basis. They had experimented on Major Lorne, while he was sleeping, knocked out from the gas and gave him his disease that was killing him now. They had missed it. All of this time, they had missed it… and now Evan was dying. Because of their carelessness, he was dying.

David never hated anyone so much as he hated the Genii in this moment. But they didn’t have an answer either. He knew there wasn’t much time left for Evan, but he’d never accept it.

Evan looked towards him, feeling exhausted. He had wasted away to almost nothing, his body unable to work. David forced a smile,  crawling into his bed with him, pulling him close and wrapped his arms around him. “Sleep, Evan, sleep.”

“I love you,” Evan told him softly.

“I love you too, Evan. With all my heart. Forever and ever. I love you,” David told him, holding him close.  

Evan took one last shuttering breath, dying in David’s arms.

END