Chapter 1
Stargate Atlantis Season 3x13
A continuation of the episode 'Irresponsible', just after Sheppard shot Kolya.
I do not own any of these characters.
I am sorry if my English sucks.
I am not a doctor. So if any of the symptoms and/or treatments aren't correct, don't sue me :P
A shot rang loud in the air. The heavy air of anticipation, worry and angst pressed on the bystanders as they awaited the outcome. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as one of the bodies fell heavily to the ground, his weapon cluttering on the stones.
"Thank god!", Carson muttered.
A look of immense relief washed over Teyla's face. She had seen Sheppard squint against the sunlight. Fear had gripped her heart as the seconds had ticked by, waiting for one or the other to make his move. She had tried to resist, knowing what good a shot Kolya was, and knew that were Sheppard to have any disadvantages, he would more then likely end up dead. But for all she and Ronon had tried, they had been easily subdued by Kolya's cronies. Utter relief and happiness filled her heart as she saw Kolya's body fall down.
Sheppard was still standing frozen, staring at his dead enemy. Carson hastily pressed his way forward, skidding to a stop in front of him, hands still tightly bound behind his back.
"Colonel! Are you hurt anywhere?", he asked, his eyes roaming over the Colonel's body, trying to determine whether that was the case.
"Colonel!", he repeated, trying to get Sheppard to respond.
"John?", Teyla asked, also standing next to him.
Sheppard blinked slowly.
"He's dead", he said softly.
"Yes, he is. It's over! He is gone!", she said in a clear voice.
Now Sheppard looked up to them.
"It's really over", he said softly, the adrenaline leaving him quickly.
Teyla smiled.
"It is. You killed him! He will never be able to come after us again!".
They could see the relief in Sheppard's eyes.
"Are you hurt anywhere, Colonel?", Carson repeated.
Only now Sheppard seemed to realise that Carson was there as well and he looked at him strangely for a second. He quickly pulled his knife out and turned Beckett around, swiftly cutting through the bonds. He repeated the process with Teyla, made more difficult as Carson grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse and searching him over for injuries.
Then something seemed to click inside him and he looked around, searching for the missing members of his team, and more precisely Rodney. If he had arrived just a couple of seconds later, McKay would have been killed. McKay's quick thinking and fast working mouth wouldn't have made any difference, not this time. Then he spotted them. McKay was staring at Kolya's body, taking slow steps towards it, like he could come back alive any minute. Ronon followed him, giving Rodney his space. Rodney was now standing next to the body and knelt next to him, his hands strained behind his back, as he leaned forward to study the man more closely. Ronon stood next to him, ready for action, like he also expected the Genii commander to spring back up again or stick a knife in McKay.
Sheppard gently pushed the doctor aside and jogged over to Rodney.
"McKay!", he said as he knelt down on the other side of Kolya's body.
He quickly glanced at Kolya. The man was dead, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, eyes staring upwards into nothingness.
"Let me help you with the ropes", he said quietly, as he pulled his gaze away from his long time enemy and he pulled the knife out.
Rodney breath stocked and he violently flinched away from the knife, nearly toppling over. Ronon hastily grabbed hold of him, his bonds already cut by Teyla, and held him gently.
Sheppard stared at him for a moment and then recognition dawned on him. He could have kicked himself.
"Hey buddy. It's going to be oke", he said, trying to pull McKay out of his memories.
He could see the scientists hands turning dark red and puffy, a clear sign that circulation was being cut off. He made a small gesture at Teyla, and she quickly stepped towards Rodney, cutting his bonds. When Rodney made no move to stretch them or get the blood flowing again, he was starting to get worried.
"Rodney?", asked, trying to gain his attention, but Rodney didn't respond.
Carson quickly moved up to Rodney and shone his penlight into his eyes. Rodney instantly squeezed his eyes closed.
"Crs'n", he groaned out.
"Ah, there ye are, lad. Ye had me a wee bit worried there. How are you feeling?"
"Cold...", Rodney replied, and as if on cue his body started to shiver.
All color seemed to have drained from Rodney's face and his hands started to shake. Carson grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse. He noticed the heavy bruising on both wrists and signed inwardly. Rodney never got out these confrontations with Kolya unscratched, the Genii commander seemingly taking pleasure in hurting the scientist, and he had no doubt that in the next couple of days many more bruises would make their appearance on Rodney's body. He made a mental note to keep the shivering scientist overnight for observation, even if it was only for the nightmares he was sure Rodney was going to have, and to schedule an appointment with Heightmeyer for both Rodney and Sheppard.
"Yer heart rate is a tad bit high", he said, and he lay a hand on Rodney's forehead.
"And yer temperature is a bit low".
"Shock... hypoglycaemic... dehydration... exhaustion...", Carson mumbled to himself.
Sheppard didn't like the sound of that. He knew how serious McKay's hypoglycaemia could get.
"Is he going to be oke?", he asked nervously.
Carson hesitated for a second.
"Some sugar, a good meal, fluids and a good nights sleep will do him a lot of good..."
"But?", Sheppard asked, sensing that there was more on the doctors mind.
Again Beckett hesitated.
"Carson?", Teyla now asked, also growing concerned with the doctors hesitation.
"Rodney has never gotten out of these confrontations unscratched, the Genii always hurting him one way or another. Remember how he got after the Genii invaded Atlantis, with the Storm? He refused to let anyone look him over".
Sheppard and Teyla didn't need to be reminded. McKay had walked around for two days with that ridiculous bandage around his arm, layer upon layer. He had neatly evaded everyone by burrowing himself in the critical repairs that needed to be done all around the city. It wasn't until the third day that Zelenka had actually come up to them, telling them that he hadn't seen or heard from McKay since the day before, that they had found him in a secluded part of the city, on the east side, collapsed. He had been drenched from the flood water in that area, his body wrecked from the high fever. The sickening wound on his arm had gotten infected and they had nearly lost him a couple of times. It was pure stubbornness and Carson's refusal to give up that had kept McKay with them.
Ronon hadn't been there for these events, but he had read the reports and heard the stories. Something seemed to click inside him and he growled. His body started to shake from the effort to stay put and not kill every last one of the Genii soldiers that the townspeople had tied up.
Teyla also seemed to have caught on, her face contorting in anger.
"This morning...", she trailed off.
Carson looked at her and Ronon.
"Ay... They've had him alone for almost two hours this morning, and again this afternoon. When they returned him to the cell, he insisted he was fine and again refused to let me look him over, constantly evading my eyes".
"Damn it!", Sheppard shouted out.
He remembered how broken McKay had looked after their first run in with Kolya. Not only the sickening wound on his arm, but also the many bruises covering his body. The man had been black and blue and had been unable to lie on his back for a week, groaning in pain every time he came close to the surface. McKay had been plagued with nightmares about the torture for a long time after that. He remembered how long it had taken to get the old McKay back.
Remembering how McKay had flinched away from the knife, he cursed again. A part of him wished he could bring Kolya back just to kill him again.
"Easy, Colonel! I would like to get him back to the infirmary as quickly as possible", Carson said in a stern voice.
"I don't have any medical supplies, I can't do anything for him here".
Sheppard nodded at that and gazed in the direction of the stargate, making a decision.
"We need something to carry him on".
He looked around, searching for Lucius, but the cowardice man was nowhere to be seen.
"I need a stretcher! Something to carry a man!", he called loudly to the townspeople surrounding them.
"No", Rodney groaned out.
"I can walk. I am... perfectly... capable of... walking", he said through the shivers wrecking his body.
"Sure you are. Just look at yourself, Rodney. You'll never make it!".
"I can make it! I can walk...".
Didn't Sheppard understand. He needed to be able to walk away from this, if it was only to remember he had survived... they had survived. He needed to walk... not to be carried like a dead person... like a body...
"I can walk... besides... we have to bring K... Kolya... along... as well...".
They wanted to make sure this was really Kolya they were dealing with, and not some double-agent. They had to be sure to put this behind them.
Sheppard looked him in the eyes and finally began to understand.
He nodded.
He walked over to the prisoners. The townspeople had taken away all their weapons, stripped them of their jackets and boots and tied them up. They seemed to have a good handle on things.
A woman walked up to him.
"You don't need to worry about us, anymore. We will be able to take care of them".
Sheppard looked at her and could see the determination and fighting spirit in her eyes.
"Alright. I'll leave them to you then. But be careful. These people, the Genii, they are not to be taken lightly. They will kill you if they get the chance. They try to gain your trust and then stick a knife in your back".
"Thank you for your help", she said.
"We'll check in in a couple of days", Sheppard said and started walking away.
"Oh, could we borrow a stretcher. You'll get it back in a few days time".
The woman smiled.
"I thought the man made it clear he didn't want to be carried".
"It's not for him"
"For the commander?", she asked.
Sheppard nodded. This woman was quite observant.
She signalled one of the townspeople and whispered something in his ear. The man ran off and came back a few minutes later carrying a simple wooden stretcher. It wouldn't be comfortable to carry, but it was better then nothing.
"Thank you. You'll have it back in a couple of days"
"No need to worry. You helped us. This is the least we can do".
Sheppard walked back to his team. Rodney was now standing on his own two feet, shivering in his jacket. Carson was holding on to his arm and Ronon and Teyla hovered close by.
Sheppard laid the stretcher next to Kolya on the ground and Ronon and he quickly moved the body on the stretcher. Carson checked to make sure the commander was really dead, so that there wouldn't be any nasty surprises. He pressed the eyes close, and covered the body with a jacket from one of the Genii soldiers.
"Carson, you and Teyla help Rodney. Ronon and I will carry the stretcher".
Teyla nodded.
"Ay", Carson answered, and quickly made his way back towards his friend.
Ronon just grunted something undecipherable, and they quickly went on their way.
By the time they reached the gate they were exhausted. Rodney had quickly turned worse about halfway to the gate. He had been slipping into unconsciousness slowly, but suddenly he had jerked away from his helpers and had started puking his guts up. After his stomach was completely empty, his legs gave out and he had collapsed to the ground. Rodney had been shivering violently, but his body temperature was picking up quickly. A fever was setting in.
Sheppard cursed loudly and was debating whether to send Ronon to the gate or to keep going the way they were. When Rodneys breathing suddenly turned worse and he started coughing wet, rattling coughs, he made a decision.
"Ronon, take McKay! Get to the gate as fast as you can! Teyla, Beckett, you two help me carry the stretcher".
Carson wanted to argue that McKay shouldn't be handled so roughly, but his health was deteriorating fast. They didn't have much choice. They needed to get him back.
Ronon swiftly picked Rodney up and started running immediately.
"Come, quickly!", Sheppard tried to hurry them along.
The three of them carrying the stretcher took a bit of navigating, but soon they had it figured out and were running as well.
"Sheppard, what is going on?", Elizabeth's voice sounded over the radio.
"I am sorry, Elizabeth. Could you patch me through to doctor Biro".
Elizabeth hearing the urgency in his voice, quickly did so. She listened as Carson gave orders over the radio and organized his team.
"We'll be there in 10 minutes!", Carson ended the conversation, heaving from exhaustion.
"Now that that is taken care of, what is going on, John?".
"I'll tell you all about it as soon as we get back!", Sheppard said in between heavy breaths.
"I want to get Carson back to Rodney as soon as possible. I'll explain everything after that".
Elizabeth could hear the heavy breaths over the radio.
"That sounds fair. I'll leave the gate open for you".
"Thank you. We're nearly there. The gate is up on the next hill".
"Oke, see you in a bit. Elizabeth out".
As they stepped out of the wormhole, half a dozen marines came up to them, taking over their burden.
"Take him to the morgue. I want two guards on him at all times, in case he had some tricks up his sleeve".
"Yes sir!", the marines all said, and walked off.
Carson took a moment to catch his breath and then ran off towards the infirmary.
Sheppard's gaze followed him. He wanted nothing more then to follow him and see how Rodney was doing, but he knew they had to talk to Elizabeth first.
"John", the woman in question said as she came walking up to them.
"What is going on? I only got a very brief catch from Ronon as he ran off to the infirmary".
"Kolya was in town. He had taken McKay, Beckett, Ronon, Teyla and Lucius prisoner, and wanted the access codes to Atlantis and me. He gave me a specific amount of time to turn myself in, or he would kill McKay. And he was going to... if I'd been just a few seconds later, Rodney would have been..."
"But you did get there in time. How did you manage to get away?", Elizabeth quickly asked, not wanting Sheppard to break down in the middle of the gate room.
"We had an old western duel. I won..."
"So that man on the stretcher-"
"That's Kolya. He is dead", Sheppard quickly answered the upcoming question.
"Just to be sure, I want the doc taking a good look at him".
Elizabeth nodded. She understood the importance to make sure Kolya was really dead.
"What happened to the rest of the Genii?"
"As much as Ronon wanted to tear them apart, the townspeople seemed to have a good lid on them. They had the soldiers stripped and tied up. I promised them to check in in a couple of days.
Elizabeth nodded, all primary questions covered for now.
"Oke. We'll debrief tomorrow morning, 0800".
That was the signal Sheppard had been waiting for, and he and Teyla sprinted off towards the infirmary.
"Get him under a scanner, STAT!", Carson called out, as Sheppard and Teyla ran into the infirmary.
Medical staff surrounded a lone bed, and Sheppard didn't need to guess who was on that bed.
"Ah, Damn it!", they heard the doctor curse, and fear gripped their hearts.
"He is choking on his own blood. We need to intubate him!"
They heard a loud gurgling sound, and Sheppard could feel his stomach clench tightly. He could see Beckett's face turning red of the effort it took him to get the tube in. Then, in a flash the tube was in, and Beckett attached a bag to the tube, breathing for his friend. He let out a breath he had been holding, and felt his knees starting to go weak. He looked around and saw the same look of fear mixed with relief on her face.
"They broke his ribs", a low voice sounded from behind them.
Sheppard quickly spun around, and saw a very distressed Ronon.
"One went right through his lung".
"DAMN IT!", Ronon yelled, as he plunged his fist in the wall.
"Ronon-", Teyla started.
"His body is covered in cuts and bruises", Ronon said.
Sheppard could hear it in his voice... the runner blamed himself.
"He even had burn-marks on him", he said in a deadly voice.
Teyla closed her eyes in regret and anger.
"They tortured him... They tortured HIM! I'm gonna kill them. Every last one of them!".
"Ronon, calm down!", Teyla tried calming the runner.
Sheppard didn't know what to say. To be truthful, he felt the exact same way. He knew Teyla felt the same, but she had always been better in choosing the moments.
"They will pay for this!", she said in a deadly calm voice.
"But for now, Rodney needs us".
They all seemed to calm down after those words. The promise of revenge reigned in their out-of-control emotions, and they fell down in the chairs.
After more then two hours Carson walked up to them, pulling off his scrubs.
"The surgery went well", he started, exhaustion sweeping over him.
"He had several broken ribs, and one of them punctured the lung, filling it with blood. If Ronon hadn't been so quick, he would have drowned in his own blood", he said, a look of appreciation washing over his face.
"His body is covered in cuts and bruises. We have cleaned the cuts and stitched the most severe ones up, but quite a few of them have already gotten infected. His blood work showed an unknown drug in his system, which seems to act as an anticoagulant. We have that part under control, but we'll keep a close eye on him whether that is all it does.
He also has a couple of burn marks and four whipping lashes on the back of his legs, which have also gotten infected.
What really worries me is the fever. His temperature won't come down. We have him covered in ice at the moment, and we're praying that will make a difference".
"Will he be oke?", Sheppard asked, fear gripping his heart again.
Carson was quiet for a second and then looked him in the eyes.
"He is in a very critical condition, Colonel. If the fever comes down, the antibiotics work, his heart doesn't give out from the strain And the drug the genii used on him doesn't have any side effects, than Yes, he should be oke. But we're far from being able to say that, Colonel. I am sorry".
"May we see him?", Teyla asked.
Carson seemed to think about that for a second.
"Yes, you may. The anaesthesia should be wearing off soon, and he'll be delirious from the high fever. He could probably use a friendly voice. I doubt he'll be dreaming about something pleasant".
"Thanks doc", he said, and they quickly followed him to a back room.
Sheppard sucked in a loud breath as he laid eyes on the scientist. Rodney was lying in the middle of the room on a spacious bed. A thin sheet lay over him, and ice was piled up on top of that. The side of Rodney's face had turned a dark blue, and bandaged wrists were only just visible from under the sheet. Tubes and wires disappeared under the white cloth and a loud pumping noise filled the room as the large machine breathed for his friend.
A loud growl echoed through the room and Sheppard turned around just in time to see the runner exiting the room hastily, no doubt to beat up a defenceless punching bag. Sheppard just hoped that his marines had the common sense to stay out of the runners way.
"Now, I want you both to get cleaned up and get a good meal. I don't wanna see either of you here for at least half an hour. You're not worth anything to anyone half dead", Carson said.
Sheppard opened his mouth to argue, but one look from Carson and he could see that the doc really meant business this time. They both nodded and hastily retreated from the infirmary for a quick shower and some food.
Carson looked at their retreating forms. He didn't doubt they would both be back here in 15 minutes.
\To be continued