ten_fwd | Battling starvation

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Battling starvation

The old Wraith hadn't thought he'd last this long. That he was still functioning at this point was a show of sheer power of will and stubbornness.

The one who had brought him onto this ship - Q, was it? - really must have a cruel sense of humor, to put him there in a situation that would make him starve. There was food around, sure, with all the humans populating this ship, and he was sure that many of the other species on board would do just as nicely. But, it just wasn't accessible. If he started feeding on people, he'd soon be found out. Especially with Sheppard on board. The colonel was sure to recognize the signs. The Wraith would be found out and locked away to continue to starve. Or they would simply execute him. At this point, the possibility of that was almost appealing.

But there was hope, and so he'd struggled on, working in the labs to find the solution to his problem, hardly ever leaving them. And he was close, he was sure of it. Very close. Only that it was getting hard to think. A functioning brain was really a prerequisite thing when one was trying to alter ones DNA.

And, perhaps this wasn't the best place to try to work, sitting in Ten Forward. All he would have to do to pull himself away from starvation was to lean over and grab someone from the table next to his, or someone passing by. But, again. That would lead to an execution as a best case scenario. Though it was tempting.

He'd had to get out from the labs, though. His thoughts had been running in circles, getting him nowhere, and he'd needed a change in scenery to break that loop.

Now, if he could only push away the temptation and distraction that the people around him provided, and if he could will his fingers from shaking as he ran them over the screen of the PADD...

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John's got to give Todd credit, if the Wraith was human, he could be a marine. The parallels are endless. He reckons that he spent too much time holed up in that cell, he sees Todd as a person. The whole way to the bedroom, he allows the guy his dignity and doesn't make platitudes or tell him they are nearly there.

Inside the room, with the door shut to the outside world, it's impossible to ignore that Todd is a predator. Human instinct tells him to shrink away to the safety of the wall, so John steps closer to the danger.

"I don't want to look like a grandpa when I don't even have kids."

Pushing off from the wall, careful to remain steady on his feet, he takes but a step to meet Sheppard.

"Then I do hope you are ready." They have done this before, Sheppard and him. Though before, it had been far less voluntary.

He latches on the second his hand makes contact with Sheppard's chest, his claws and the maw in his hand tearing through the fabric of Sheppard's shirt to dig into skin. The hunger won't allow anything else. No more waiting.

It's just as good as he remembers; defiance and strength and life flowing in, surging through his system to ease that burning hunger that has been eating away at him.

To just taste that, to stop before the hunger is fully satisfied, that is torture in itself. It would have been so easy, to keep Sheppard right there and take everything he has. The human wouldn't have been able to stop him, not now when it has all started. And yet, he does stop. If he shoves Sheppard away, or if he tears himself away to stagger back doesn't really matter. The result is the same, with distance put between them, and the wraith again leaning against the door, aching for more but no longer feeling so weak, the fog lifting from his mind. The hunger still burns; it would take far more than a taste to quench that. But at the very least, Sheppard has bought him a sliver of time. He can only hope it will be enough.

John hopes he's ready. He muscles tense as Todd draws closer, but he's pretty damn proud of himself for not stepping back. This whole situation is much easier, when he's held in place, and isn't given a say in the matter. Thoughts flash through his mind, Elizabeth would kill him for this, Rodney would say he was mad (and for once he would be right), that he should have had backup.

The shock of it goes straight to his heart, it beats faster, straining, like Todd is drawing it straight from his chest. His legs are weak and the second the wraith lets go, he drops to his knees. He straightens his back and catches sight of the grey hairs among the dark ones.

"I can work the silver fox look for awhile," he says as he gasps and gets oxygen into his lungs. "You okay?"

For a moment, the look the wraith gives Sheppard is the same a predator would give a prey, perhaps even more unsettling now when strength has returned to replace the air of worn weakness that had been about him. It lasts but a few seconds, before intellect and self control covers that freal gleam in his eyes.

Strength of will over instinct.

He draws a slow and deep breath, filling his lungs and exhaling before pushing off from the door and stepping over to where Sheppard is kneeling. "I am better. Thank you." He holds out a hand to help the colonel to his feet, apparently not giving a thought to the smudge of red blood right there in his palm.

John catches the look and his muscles tense, if Todd springs, he will not go down without a fight. It's a foolhardy thought, he's barely rocked back on to his heels by the time the wraith crosses the room. His very bones ache, he really hopes he doesn't live to old age.

"Great, because I am feeling peachy." He takes the hand, it's not like its the first time he's seen his own blood, and staggers to his feet. "I don't which of us is the most ugly right now."

There's a small, wry kind of smile as he pulls Sheppard to his feet. "That, I think, would depend on ones point of view." At least he's only feeling better, compared to a mere minute ago, whereas Sheppard looks decidedly less well.

If he gets the opportunity to, the wraith will give back what he took. This is a debt that he'll hopefully repay. Sheppard may be human, may essentially be food depending on how one looked at things. But, he's also a human that the old wraith has dubbed a brother not too many years ago. He's held Sheppard's life in his hands before and given it back. In a sense, that would most likely unnerve the human, that practically makes Sheppard a part of his Hive.

Giving Sheppard as little opportunity to protest as he himself had gotten earlier, he leads the human to his bed to sit him down there, proceeding to fetch him a glass of water from the replicator. Just because he hasn't had any personal use from the machine, it doesn't mean he hasn't figured out how to use it.

John would feel like puking if he knew Todd considered him a hive mate. It's bad enough, that he has to let the guy play nursemaid. He sits down on his bed with a thump and even mumbles a thank you.

He notices a few age spots on the back of his hands, he won't be winning any beauty pageants any time soon. "So how are your experiments going?"

"There is progress." Slow progress. Too slow. But he does still think that it is possible to make it work. "In part, doctor Keller's work with this was brilliant, I will admit. Still, there are... Flaws."

It's in the details now, he thinks. Some little piece he's missing. He wonders, if the time Sheppard has given him won't be enough, would the human allow him to do this again? He can't count on it.

"Any progress is good," John says and takes a slow drink of water. It isn't common place for him to give a motivational speech to a wraith, but it's in his best interest, he doesn't know how many times his body will be able to handle the Wraith feeding. There is also the worry that Todd may lose some of his legendary self control.

"You'll get there, your brain hasn't withered away with the thousands of years you've been alive."

"Hardly," he replies with a snort. The many years may have given him an odd habit or two, and views on life that the younger generations might not readily share. After all, how many would have agreed to a treatment to make it impossible to feed on humans, if he hadn't pushed?

But his mind is still as sharp as ever, at least now that the hunger has been momentarily eased. It would be best not to waste that.

"I best get back to work." He makes to leave, but pauses. "I thank you for this, Sheppard. It will not be forgotten."

"Anytime," John says and gives a humourless laugh. "Seriously though, if you need more before you find a solution, I'll help. Just remember I'm not a fast food takeaway, I'm more like an aged gourmet steak - I get better with time."

Humans often doesn't make sense. The old wraith is used to that. But he still can't help but to reply. "I was under the impression that meat was best consumed fresh," he remarks, lips twisting up slightly to hint at some degree of amusement.

"You'll never make a gourmet chef," John quips. The wraith's amusement is almost as alarming as his snarl. "Age brings added flavour. I'll treat you to a well aged steak when you figure out a way to survive on some human food." And it is a when, the Wraith has the right motivation to find alternate food sources.

"Then I will let you know if your comparison is correct or not." He's almost even smiling now, or perhaps smirking. Wraith humor is far more wicked than nice, and generally not very appropriate.

"Keep the comparison to yourself, if I rate low on the end of the good tasting food scale." No one wants to hear the taste like rotten eggs. This has to rank as one of the weirdest food conversations to date.

"Let me know when your stomach starts rumbling again. Don't go snacking in between." There is a threat somewhere in this reminder.

"Oh, I can already tell you that you do not. You rate quite highly, in fact." He suspects that this isn't really pleasing to hear, but since they're on the topic... "So I assure you, I will not attempt to find a substitute." The unspoken threat is heard clearly, though it isn't needed.

"Glad to hear it," John says and clears his throat. He will have to make the Captain of the ship aware, just in case the Wraith has a change of heart before he recovers his strength. He doesn't trust Todd completely.

"So, is anyone giving you any grief on the ship?"

When Todd replies to that, he makes no attempt to hide the distaste in his tone. "Are you aware that there is an Ancient on this ship?" Oh, there hasn't been any real confrontation between himself and his age-old enemy. Only veiled words. But that's enough for the old wraith to know exactly what he is.

John nods his head, "Orlin finally revealed himself to me this morning. The guy is kinda cagey." That was something of an understatement, John is pretty sure the Ancient would never have revealed himself if he hadn't been caught on the holodeck in an Atlantis setting.

He rubs at the back of his neck. "You didn't come up."

The wraith doesn't verbally reply at first. There's just a weighted look. Displeased doesn't really cover what he's feeling about the situation. He's sure he and the Ancient - Orlin, was it? - have much the same thought: how to get rid of the other and get away with it.

"I advice you to be wary, Sheppard."

"He'd say the exact same thing about you," John isn't one for mincing his words. Still, the Wraith has been a source of decent information, once in awhile.

He leans forward, "Okay Todd, you tell me why I should be wary. I've met some ancients before, and one of them thought I was pretty."

"Naturally." Though the wraith allows a derisive snort at Sheppard's last comment, he doesn't seem at all surprised or even annoyed that the ancient would tell the human to be on guard. They are enemies, after all. "Their carelessness and immense arrogance aside?" He asks with a slight sneer. "How far would you truly trust and race that views you as an inferior species? And, yes, I am well aware of the relationship of our two species when I say that. He might not see you as prey as others of my people would, it does not mean he has your best interests in mind. If he even cares at all."

"Carelessness and arrogance is two things you guys have in common," John says dryly. Privately, he doesn't get most of the ancients, they are so far removed from any sense of reality. "All I care about is whether they are are likely to make an unprovoked attack on people here."

Old habits die hard, and civilian security remains a top priority.

"Most likely, they would not," Todd has to admit, a touch grudgingly. When it came to unprovoked attacks, his own people are more likely culprits, and he knows it. But a predator generally doesn't need to be provoked to go after prey. It's simply nature.

Through some predators are, admittedly, crueler than others...

"My points is, Sheppard, that you keep your wits about you. That is all."

"Don't worry, I always do." He stretches, working a kink out of his newly aching back. "I won't let Orlin kill you." Which would probably put him at odds with the Ancient, but it was a case of better the devil John knew. He barks out a laugh.

"You know, your almost a friend on board this ship."

Battling starvation

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