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rinkhcTitle: This Thing with My Head
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Chuck, Woolsey, Keller, Sheppard
Pairing: Chuck/Woolsey
Rating: PG
Orientation: Slash
Word Count: 1,272
Notes: Happy Holidays to moose_happy, who requested some Chuck & Woolsey lovin’.
Prompt: HC Bingo Fill: “Headaches/Migraines”
Over the years everyone had gotten quite used to the Gate Teams going into danger and needing to be rescued, or escaping by the skin of their teeth. Close calls were a way of life in Pegasus. The expedition members had long since noted it, accepted it and moved on with their work and lives.
But every once in a while, something happened to remind Chuck that it wasn’t only the away teams that were in danger, everyone in the city was at risk. Sometimes, he was reminded when McKay had to pull a hat trick at the last minute and the city was saved from destruction, again, by something brilliant the scientist team did.
Sometimes, the dangers were subtle, so low key or completely hidden that it was almost too late before anyone realized that there was actually something to be worried about.
Watching through the glass wall as he passed by Woolsey’s office, Chuck noticed that he was resting his head in his hands, rubbing at the back of his head with his fingers. Chuck grew concerned because this was the third day in a row that Woolsey had been struck with a headache, or was it the same one?
He lightly tapped on the doorframe. When Woolsey looked up, Chuck said quietly, “Another one?”
“Still,” Woolsey looked miserable.
Chuck walked over to the desk. “You should go see Doctor Keller.”
When Richard looked up at him he seemed about to refuse. Then he winced painfully. “She’ll want to do tests, with all those machines. Those machines make me nervous.”
“I’m on meal break; I’ll walk down there with you. I’ll even hold your hand, if no one is looking.” Chuck smiled and tossed his head towards the door. “I’m worried about you, Richard.”
Slowly, painfully, Woolsey climbed out of his chair and walked around the desk. He looked very pale and his hands were trembling. “Let’s go,” he whispered to Chuck.
Falling into step beside him, Chuck asked, “Are you prone to migraines?”
“No, this is unusual.”
When they reached the infirmary, Doctor Keller happened to be near the doors and saw them before the nurse did. Coming over towards them, she zeroed in on Richard immediately. “Oh, dear, you look like you’re in a lot of pain, Mister Woolsey. What’s troubling you?”
“I’ve got a headache.”
When Woolsey didn’t elaborate, Chuck added, “He’s had it for three days. Tylenol isn’t helping. He isn’t sleeping and he threw up his dinner last night.”
Richard gave him a look that might have killed him, if he had superpowers that granted him the ability. “Chuck,” he hissed.
“Trying to help,” Chuck hissed back.
Looking between the two of them, Keller smiled lightly. “I’m very discreet, don’t worry, Mister Woolsey. Come with me, let’s get you fixed up.”
True to his word, Chuck stayed beside him, though Richard drew the line at any actual hand holding. As Woolsey had feared, Keller did indeed put him under a variety of machines for tests. After the last one, a brain scan, she frowned at the results.
“Mister Woolsey, I’m sorry to tell you, but there is a growth on the occipital lobe of your brain.”
“What does that mean, what do you do for that?” Chuck demanded as Richard stared at the doctor in stunned silence.
Keller hugged her datapad close to her chest. “Luckily, the growth in near the surface, in an accessible area, I’ll be able to excise it.”
At that, Richard’s hand fumbled in the air until Chuck caught it, giving a reassuring squeeze. “Brain surgery?”
The doctor nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. “As soon as possible; I don’t know the nature of the growth; I don’t want to risk it getting too large or entrenched to safely remove.”
“I… I have to clear a few things up on my desk. Make some arrangements; write a few letters, just in case. Would tomorrow be soon enough, Doctor Keller?” Woolsey was clenching Chuck’s hand tightly enough to turn his fingers white but Campbell didn’t complain; he was frightened too.
She nodded. “That will be fine. I’ll check with the nurses and get back to you on the time. In the meantime, I’ll give you a shot that should help with the pain.”
~*~
Richard didn’t have any appetite, refusing the tray of food Chuck brought to his quarters. He sat at his desk, typing up the letters he had mentioned as Chuck ate and watched him with concern. They had been together since a few weeks after Richard had come to Atlantis, thrown together as it fell to Chuck to show the new administrator around. They had become friends, and eventually, lovers. This was the first time either of them had been ill.
“Are you sure you can’t eat, Richard? I brought soup.”
“No, thank you. My stomach is too queasy. Chuck, if something should happen, I’ve left letters in a folder I’ve sent to your email. Please forward them for me.”
Sadly, his appetite gone, Chuck nodded. “Of course, but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“It might,” Chuck could see Richard shaking from across the room. He darted out of his chair and ran over, wrapping his arms around him and just holding him until the shaking subsided.
~*~
Keller came out of the OR herself to give Chuck the news. She was smiling when she pulled the mask off her face. “He’s doing well. Everything went better than I could have hoped.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Chuck sagged back against the wall. Sheppard patted his shoulder, having come to wait with him. Until then, Chuck hadn’t been aware that anyone knew about his relationship with Richard. The Colonel had been very cool about it, saying nothing beyond, “I’ll wait with you; you must be a wreck.”
“It was an organism, one I have never seen before. I assume it is native to Pegasus, another of the surprises she likes to spring on us to keep us on our toes. We’ll have to investigate where he came into contact with it, I don’t want a rash of these things infecting people,” Keller said.
“I’ll check with security and see about tracking his whereabouts over the past few weeks, see what I can come up with,” Sheppard offered.
“That would be helpful, Colonel. Mister Woolsey should be awake and ready for visitors in about two hours, Chuck. You should get something to eat, have a nap. I’m sure he’ll want to see you when he wakes.”
~*~
“So, Colonel Sheppard knows about us, I think,” Chuck said, massaging Richard’s hand. The recovery was going well; the doctor said he could leave in another day or so.
Woolsey nodded. “I think he’s known for quite a while, he’s very observant, our Colonel. Speaking of him, did he find anything out about the creature yet?”
“They’ve narrowed it down to two planets you visited. Teyla and Ronon are going to one to ask around, Lorne and his team went to the other. They should have answers soon.”
“There was a bug in my head, Chuck, a parasite noshing on my brain.” Richard shivered and Chuck squeezed his hand.
“All gone now. Dead. You’re fine, Richard.”
“Am I?’
Smiling, Chuck nodded. “Keller said so. I believe her. You’re getting out of here tomorrow. You’ll be back at work next week. And, you’ll have a cool new scar to show all the marines.”
“A bad-ass scar?”
“Totally bad-ass,” Chuck said, and leaned over the edge of the rail to kiss Richard gently, conveying his relief that all was going to be okay.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Chuck, Woolsey, Keller, Sheppard
Pairing: Chuck/Woolsey
Rating: PG
Orientation: Slash
Word Count: 1,272
Notes: Happy Holidays to moose_happy, who requested some Chuck & Woolsey lovin’.
Prompt: HC Bingo Fill: “Headaches/Migraines”
Over the years everyone had gotten quite used to the Gate Teams going into danger and needing to be rescued, or escaping by the skin of their teeth. Close calls were a way of life in Pegasus. The expedition members had long since noted it, accepted it and moved on with their work and lives.
But every once in a while, something happened to remind Chuck that it wasn’t only the away teams that were in danger, everyone in the city was at risk. Sometimes, he was reminded when McKay had to pull a hat trick at the last minute and the city was saved from destruction, again, by something brilliant the scientist team did.
Sometimes, the dangers were subtle, so low key or completely hidden that it was almost too late before anyone realized that there was actually something to be worried about.
Watching through the glass wall as he passed by Woolsey’s office, Chuck noticed that he was resting his head in his hands, rubbing at the back of his head with his fingers. Chuck grew concerned because this was the third day in a row that Woolsey had been struck with a headache, or was it the same one?
He lightly tapped on the doorframe. When Woolsey looked up, Chuck said quietly, “Another one?”
“Still,” Woolsey looked miserable.
Chuck walked over to the desk. “You should go see Doctor Keller.”
When Richard looked up at him he seemed about to refuse. Then he winced painfully. “She’ll want to do tests, with all those machines. Those machines make me nervous.”
“I’m on meal break; I’ll walk down there with you. I’ll even hold your hand, if no one is looking.” Chuck smiled and tossed his head towards the door. “I’m worried about you, Richard.”
Slowly, painfully, Woolsey climbed out of his chair and walked around the desk. He looked very pale and his hands were trembling. “Let’s go,” he whispered to Chuck.
Falling into step beside him, Chuck asked, “Are you prone to migraines?”
“No, this is unusual.”
When they reached the infirmary, Doctor Keller happened to be near the doors and saw them before the nurse did. Coming over towards them, she zeroed in on Richard immediately. “Oh, dear, you look like you’re in a lot of pain, Mister Woolsey. What’s troubling you?”
“I’ve got a headache.”
When Woolsey didn’t elaborate, Chuck added, “He’s had it for three days. Tylenol isn’t helping. He isn’t sleeping and he threw up his dinner last night.”
Richard gave him a look that might have killed him, if he had superpowers that granted him the ability. “Chuck,” he hissed.
“Trying to help,” Chuck hissed back.
Looking between the two of them, Keller smiled lightly. “I’m very discreet, don’t worry, Mister Woolsey. Come with me, let’s get you fixed up.”
True to his word, Chuck stayed beside him, though Richard drew the line at any actual hand holding. As Woolsey had feared, Keller did indeed put him under a variety of machines for tests. After the last one, a brain scan, she frowned at the results.
“Mister Woolsey, I’m sorry to tell you, but there is a growth on the occipital lobe of your brain.”
“What does that mean, what do you do for that?” Chuck demanded as Richard stared at the doctor in stunned silence.
Keller hugged her datapad close to her chest. “Luckily, the growth in near the surface, in an accessible area, I’ll be able to excise it.”
At that, Richard’s hand fumbled in the air until Chuck caught it, giving a reassuring squeeze. “Brain surgery?”
The doctor nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. “As soon as possible; I don’t know the nature of the growth; I don’t want to risk it getting too large or entrenched to safely remove.”
“I… I have to clear a few things up on my desk. Make some arrangements; write a few letters, just in case. Would tomorrow be soon enough, Doctor Keller?” Woolsey was clenching Chuck’s hand tightly enough to turn his fingers white but Campbell didn’t complain; he was frightened too.
She nodded. “That will be fine. I’ll check with the nurses and get back to you on the time. In the meantime, I’ll give you a shot that should help with the pain.”
Richard didn’t have any appetite, refusing the tray of food Chuck brought to his quarters. He sat at his desk, typing up the letters he had mentioned as Chuck ate and watched him with concern. They had been together since a few weeks after Richard had come to Atlantis, thrown together as it fell to Chuck to show the new administrator around. They had become friends, and eventually, lovers. This was the first time either of them had been ill.
“Are you sure you can’t eat, Richard? I brought soup.”
“No, thank you. My stomach is too queasy. Chuck, if something should happen, I’ve left letters in a folder I’ve sent to your email. Please forward them for me.”
Sadly, his appetite gone, Chuck nodded. “Of course, but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“It might,” Chuck could see Richard shaking from across the room. He darted out of his chair and ran over, wrapping his arms around him and just holding him until the shaking subsided.
Keller came out of the OR herself to give Chuck the news. She was smiling when she pulled the mask off her face. “He’s doing well. Everything went better than I could have hoped.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Chuck sagged back against the wall. Sheppard patted his shoulder, having come to wait with him. Until then, Chuck hadn’t been aware that anyone knew about his relationship with Richard. The Colonel had been very cool about it, saying nothing beyond, “I’ll wait with you; you must be a wreck.”
“It was an organism, one I have never seen before. I assume it is native to Pegasus, another of the surprises she likes to spring on us to keep us on our toes. We’ll have to investigate where he came into contact with it, I don’t want a rash of these things infecting people,” Keller said.
“I’ll check with security and see about tracking his whereabouts over the past few weeks, see what I can come up with,” Sheppard offered.
“That would be helpful, Colonel. Mister Woolsey should be awake and ready for visitors in about two hours, Chuck. You should get something to eat, have a nap. I’m sure he’ll want to see you when he wakes.”
“So, Colonel Sheppard knows about us, I think,” Chuck said, massaging Richard’s hand. The recovery was going well; the doctor said he could leave in another day or so.
Woolsey nodded. “I think he’s known for quite a while, he’s very observant, our Colonel. Speaking of him, did he find anything out about the creature yet?”
“They’ve narrowed it down to two planets you visited. Teyla and Ronon are going to one to ask around, Lorne and his team went to the other. They should have answers soon.”
“There was a bug in my head, Chuck, a parasite noshing on my brain.” Richard shivered and Chuck squeezed his hand.
“All gone now. Dead. You’re fine, Richard.”
“Am I?’
Smiling, Chuck nodded. “Keller said so. I believe her. You’re getting out of here tomorrow. You’ll be back at work next week. And, you’ll have a cool new scar to show all the marines.”
“A bad-ass scar?”
“Totally bad-ass,” Chuck said, and leaned over the edge of the rail to kiss Richard gently, conveying his relief that all was going to be okay.