Sheppard watched with trepidation as Margot fought off the attacker. He cursed the ropes that held him to his chair. Margot blocked a blow to the stomach but failed to block a hand filled with a gun as the butt of the gun slammed down into her right temple. She crumpled to the floor silently. "No!" Sheppard breathed heavily as he struggled. Margot's hand came up and it held a knife. The knife ended its journey in her attacker's belly, with a cruel twist. She let go and the man fell back. She sat still for a few moments before turning toward Sheppard and started crawling to where he was tied. Margot fell several times but made it to him, but her eyes when he glimpsed them were dead and unfocused. She pulled a smaller knife out of her belt and moved to cut his ropes, but her hands were shaking so hard, Sheppard gently guided her to where to cut. When his hands were free he quickly took away the knife and cut the ties on his legs. He fell of the chair to sit beside her and took her in his arms as she finally let go, falling boneless into his embrace.
Blood trickled from the cut on her head, and John tried to wipe it away before he ripped a piece of his shirt off and wrapped it around her head. "Easy, Margot, I've got you. I need to stand up and you are coming with me, okay?" She false started into a nod before settling for a weak "yes." He pulled her up with him as he stood, but the movement was too much and her eyes rolled up. He tucked his hands under her knees and carried her out of the room. It took him longer to find the Gate then he would have liked but he entered in his IDC and stepped through. Fortunately, they had been anticipating injuries, so Dr. Keller and Carson were rushing forward to relieve him of his burden.
"What happened, son?" Carson put a hand on Sheppard's shoulder as they wheeled Margot out of the Gate room.
"She was hit with a gun butt, trying to free me. All I could do was watch her try and get to me." Carson pulled him into a half hug.
"You did what you could. She knows that. Just have a seat on the bed. I need to check you over. Does anything hurt?"
"My head, and my arm." Carson took a look at the cut on his arm, before looking at the matching gash on his skull.
"You have a nasty cut here on your arm, I'm going to have to stitch it, and the one on your head. Just lay back, son. I'll let you know if I hear anything about Colonel Quinn." Sheppard obeyed, practically collapsing back on to the pillows. About thirty minutes later, with fresh stitches and bandages, Sheppard was asleep. Carson was startled out of his reverie by the arrival of McKay, Ronan, and Teyla.
"How is he?"
"Fine, he's just tired. He fell asleep while I was tending to a cut on his arm." Rodney nodded, relieved.
"What about Margot," asked Ronan. Carson sighed and sat down in the chair next to Sheppard's bed.
"Not good. She's been in surgery for nearly an hour."
"What's wrong with her? What happened?"
"She was hit on the right temple with a handgun handle butt. She lost consciousness on the planet. Sheppard carried her home. I'm afraid at this point she may have severe brain trauma. I fear the worst." Teyla set a hand on Carson's shoulder and squeezed.
"There is hope." As she spoke, Keller exited the OR, heading for them.
"How is Sheppard?"
"Fine."
"Good, Margot did not fair as well. We stopped the swelling of her brain, but her injury was severe. There maybe brain damage. We won't know until she regains consciousness, if she does." Keller wiped her hands on a towel she picked up from the tray Carson had been using to tend Sheppard. "I've never seen an injury like that. The weight and force behind the blow crushed the skull where it hit. We had to mend that."
"I'm sure you did your best, Doctor," said Teyla. She had moved over to run a hand across Sheppard's forehead. He stirred at the attention and blinked sleepily.
"Margot?" He asked tiredly.
"She is out of surgery. It does not look good." Ronan stood on his other side, a strong hand keeping him from sitting up.
"You need to rest, it will be hours before we have any more news. Sleep." Keller urged him.
"Yes, sleep, Sheppard. In the morning, I'll let you go see her." Carson knew that bribery is a last resort tactic but he knew Sheppard needed rest. It seemed that he did not need blackmail Sheppard was out cold.
"Can I see her," asked Ronan.
"Yes, come with me," said Carson. He led him to a bed in the back hidden by a privacy curtain. In the bed Margot lay attached to machines and monitors, all seemingly telling them that she was alive. Her skin was pale; her eyes had dark shadows under them.
"She's going to be okay." It sounded like a statement more than a question. Ronan took her limp hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Fight! Just fight!" Carson watched closely. He had not realized what was happening with his friends until now.
"You love her."
"With all my life. But she loves Sheppard and he loves her. So I love her as I can, as a brother. I would die for her."
"I believe that. You can sit with her if you want."
"Thank you, Carson." Ronan sat in the chair near her bedside. He kept a hold of her hand, squeezing tight. Carson left him there to go check on Sheppard again.