DISCLAIMER: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters. I want to apologize for any grammar mistakes and getting any medical information wrong, I'll try to keep them to a minimum. The rating is for violence in future chapters. A special thanks to IguanaMom for being my beta reader. :)

CHAPTER 1

He was cold and soaked to the bone; Carson was wishing he were back on Atlantis in the safety of his infirmary. Why didn't he find a better hiding place or make a better excuse for not coming when he learned that he was scheduled to go off-world with Sheppard's team. He was a medical doctor not a soldier; he wished Elizabeth and John would stop insisting that he go off world. Thankfully in a few minutes their mission would be over and they would be back home.

They were making their way back to the stargate through the dense forest that seemed to cover most of the planet. It had started with a light drizzle, but now it was pouring. Ever since they had left the little remote village Rodney had been complaining about everything, the rain only made matters worse; as usual everyone else was simply ignoring him. At the front of their little group John turned around to address Carson, who was behind him.

"Didn't I tell you Dr. Beckett that there was nothing to worry about? Nothing bad happened."

"Aye, but don't go jinxing it. We still have a ways before we reach the stargate."

"Carson will you lighten up, what could go wrong?" Rodney, who was walking next to Carson, asked.

"For some reason many things come to mind. The sooner we get back the better."

"What's that suppose to mean? It's not like we go looking for trouble." John said trying to defend himself.

"You should get out more Doctor," Aiden suggested.

"I get out enough Lieutenant, could we pick up the pace a bit?"

"Do you have someplace you have to be?" John asked.

"He just wants to get back to his infirmary so he can get back to his voodoo witch practices and find more victims," Rodney said.

Carson rolled his eyes. "Rodney for the last time it isn't voodoo, it's called medicine and I don't go looking for victims they keep coming to me. For some reason they're mostly scientists," he paused slightly before continuing, "I don't really have to get back to the infirmary anytime soon unless one of you manages to injure yourself before we make it back."

"Well don't worry Carson it won't be me, though I can't say the same for Sheppard." Rodney said smirking.

John gave Rodney an annoyed glare.

"I wouldn't be so sure McKay, you do have a tendency to get yourself into trouble."

John and Rodney stopped walking as they started to argue over who was going to get injured next.

"How long do you think they'll keep this up?" Aiden asked Teyla and Carson.

"They could go on for hours." Teyla replied.

"Aye, but we should really start getting back," Carson said, "There's something about these woods. It feels like we're being watched."

Aiden rolled his eyes; Carson always seemed a little anxious and paranoid when they were out on a mission.

"I have also noticed that. These woods are far too quiet," Teyla remarked, "Major, we should start heading back. Something does not seem right about these woods."

At that John and Rodney both stopped arguing.

"Now that you mention it, it is really quiet," John said.

John slowly pulled out his gun and signaled to his team members to do the same.

"I knew I should have stayed back on Atlantis. What was I thinking agreeing to come?" Carson mumbled to himself.

"Keep your eyes open. Let's pick up the pace."

They hurried through the woods; there was now an ominous feeling in the air as they weaved in and out, through the tall trees. Suddenly out of nowhere something shot past John and embedded itself into the tree next to him.

"Take cover!" he yelled as another missed his head by a few inches.

They quickly threw themselves behind some trees.

"Cheer up Carson. There's nothing to worry about. This will only take a few hours; it will be a piece of cake. All we have to do is take a look around then head back to Atlantis," Carson said glaring at John, repeating what John told him earlier that day.

"Well…" John started to say before Rodney interrupted him.

"Who's shooting at us? And with what?" Rodney asked.

Some more things came flying by them, one of them barely missing hitting Rodney.

"It looks like arrows McKay," John informed him, gesturing to the arrow near Rodney's head.

Rodney glared at John.

"Well they definitely are not the wraith, maybe they're the villagers," Aiden said.

"Why would they attack us? They didn't seem to belikeviolent sort of people," Carson said.

"McKay did you touch anything you weren't suppose to again?" John asked him.

"No!"

"Could we not try talking to them?" Teyla suggested.

John shrugged; he cautiously peeked out from the tree he was hiding behind. He could see their attackers now, they looked similar to the villagers but their clothing was a little different. Just as he was about to shout something at them another arrow shot passed him, barely missing him again.

"Well, we can rule out that idea. Teyla get Dr. Beckett and McKay back to the gate, Ford and I will cover you. We'll be right behind you."

Teyla nodded and hurried off with the doctors back to the stargate. John turned to Aiden, "Okay let's buy them some time before we head after them."

"Yes sir."

They turned to face the hostiles and fired a few shots towards them.

Teyla, Rodney, and Carson ran as fast as they could back to the stargate. So far none of the attackers had followed them.

"It looks like we lost them," Rodney panted as they continued to run. Unfortunately he spoke too soon as a few arrows shot by them. They ran faster, weaving quickly through the trees.

"I guess we didn't lose them after all."

The only response he got were glares from Carson and Teyla.

"Ye think?" Carson remarked.

As Rodney was about to respond he tripped over a tree root and fell hard, flat on his face. Teyla and Carson ran back to him and grabbed his arms; they pulled him up and started running again with Rodney limping slightly. Carson slowed down for a moment as he felt something hit him on his shoulder, missing his protective vest; it felt like a bee sting.

"Come on Dr. Beckett," Teyla said slowing down, noticing he wasn't right behind her any more.

He nodded and picked up his pace. Up ahead they could see the end of the woods; they were almost back to the stargate.

"We're almost there Carson," Rodney said looking to his right, expecting to see Carson. Surprised when he didn't see him, he looked behind and saw Carson was standing still. "Carson this is no time to stop, they're right behind us. Come on!"

When Carson didn't answer and acted as if he didn't hear Rodney, they ran back towards him. Before they reached him, he started to sink to the ground.

"Dr. Beckett!" Teyla yelled as they hurried to him.

They caught him before he hit the ground. Gently as possible they dragged him behind the shelter of some trees and propped him up beside one of the tree trunks.

"Carson, are you hurt?" Rodney asked growing more concerned when the doctor didn't answer and stared past him with unfocused eyes.

"Dr. Beckett?" Teyla tried.

Carson's eyes then rolled back into his head and he went limp.

"Carson! Oh god. Is he dead? He can't be dead…what are we going to do?" Rodney said panicking.

Teyla quickly felt Carson's throat for a pulse, sighing in relief whenshe found it.She frowned when she noticed something sticking out of his shoulder.

"Don't worry Dr. McKay. He's alive."

"Thank goodness. Is he injured?"

"It looks like he was hit with some type of dart."

"A dart?"

She gently pulled it out of Carson's shoulder and showed it to Rodney.

"Oh."

"Come on, we need to get him back to Atlantis," she said placing the dart in her vest pocket. Rodney nodded and they started to drag Carson's limp form toward the gate. They were almost to the edge of the woods when some arrows shot past them as their pursuers caught up with them.

"Rodney get him to the gate, I'll try to distract them."

"Teyla," he started to say.

"Don't worry I'll be behind you. Carson needs medical attention, we do not know if he was hit with something poisonous."

Rodney nodded and hurried toward the stargate dragging Carson with him. Teyla fired a few shots in the direction the arrows were coming from. She quickly made her way toward some other trees to draw the arrows away from Rodney's direction before she headed after them.

Rodney dragged Carson as fast as he could sideways, trying to keep an eye out for their assailants. Looking to the right he could see the stargate, he was almost out of the forest. Just as he passed by the last tree, he tripped over its root and stumbled. He cursed under his breath as he came close to dropping Carson and falling to the ground again. Rodney paused for a second when he heard some leaves crunching near him. He held Carson a little tighter and ran toward the stargate. He didn't bother looking behind him as he ran; he sighed in relief when he made it to the gate. As he was placing Carson carefully down on the steps leading up to the stargate he felt something hit his neck, he froze. His hand shook as he reached to touch his neck and soon felt overcome with despair when his fingers made contact with a dart. He pulled it out quickly and let it drop to the ground then hurried over to the DHD and he started to type in Atlantis' code. He watched the gate dial, wishing it would go faster. He kept looking nervously behind him at the woods. He hoped he would be able to get Carson back to Atlantis before what ever was in the dartcame him. Finally the seventh chevron lock in place, he was about to send his code through when he felt his legs turn to Jell-O. Grabbing onto the DHD for support he tried sending his code through. To his horror his knees buckled beneath him and felt paralyzed, almost like being hit with a wraith stunner. As he sank to the ground he hoped his team members found them before their pursuers did. Just as his eyes were closing, he saw something moving out of the woods. He tried to keep his eyes from closing a little longer but found them closing shut. Before succumbing to the darkness he heard someone or something approaching then he knew nothing more as the darknessover tookhim. He didn't see the group of people approaching him. They silently walked over to the two doctors lying on the ground.

Reaching the unconscious doctors by the open gate one of them asked, "Which one is he?"

"I don't know. We might as well take them both, we can't risk leaving the one we came for behind. We mustn't fail our mission, the chief's life depends on our success. When they wake up we can ask them then," another answered. The others nodded in agreement. They silently picked up the two doctors and carried them off into the deep forest.

A.N. I hope you liked it so far. Please let me know what you think…good or bad…