Beauty in the Breaking

Beauty in the Breaking


He was breaking, and he knew it.

The mission had gone south, so quickly. They hadn't even been on the planet for ten minutes when the shooting started. It wasn't the Genii or the Wraith. Just a backwater planet that didn't take kindly to visitors of any kind. They were small in numbers, but their weapons were many.

Their P-90s didn't stand a chance against the hundreds of arrows and spearheads being fired at them as they tried to run back to the 'gate. John didn't want to harm them, kept telling Ronon to fire warning shots only, but that changed when Rodney was hit in the leg.

A painful cry broke from his throat as he fell to the ground, clutching his thigh where a sharpened spearhead was lodged into his skin. When he had fallen to the ground, the villagers knew he was an easy target and rebounded their efforts to shoot at him.

He was hit in the back, another spearhead lodging in his side. He flinched and curled onto his side, blinding pain paralyzing his body. Teyla knelt besides him, shooting at the villagers, no longer warning them to stay away. Ronon took position to her right, joining in this killing.

John kept running to the 'gate, knowing they had to dial out now and call for help. Ronon and Teyla could keep the villagers away for now.

Blood was pouring out of his wounds, soaking the ground beneath him. Teyla was shouting at John to dial the gate while Ronon kept shooting at the villagers in anger. They were falling to the ground, dead.

Teyla had put her gun down, her hands moving to Rodney's wounds, fruitlessly trying to stop the bleeding. The spearheads were in too deep and they had most likely hit internal organs. Rodney's eyes were rolling left to right and left again. He couldn't focus.

His sight was getting blurry, his breathing was labored, his face was the picture of misery. The epitome of suffering. Rodney thought he heard the sound of a wormhole opening and frantic yelling. His eyes rolled again and they found Teyla, John, and Ronon's face above him.

His eyes were shattering, and he knew they could see it, too. His heart was slowing and his breathing was just as shallow. Every movement was causing him pain.

But then he smiled. And it was beautiful.