Title: Easy Retreat
Summary: Team Sheppard and Carson wake up in a crashed jumper and are forced to hike their way back home. Carson whump, slight Rodney whump. Team love.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing and playing with.
Author's Note: This fic came to me at 9a this morning while I was feeding my kids breakfast. I sat down expecting to get maybe ONE page done but I ended up with 6 (in Word). Thanks to GraceW for being my beta; I love you dear!
Carson awoke with a groan, pain greeting him as it lanced through every part of his body. The hard grated floor beneath him told him he was on the floor of the jumper which was odd considering he hadn't remembered leaving his seat. Flashes of memory and an image of him falling off the bench seats when the ancient machine slammed into something hard and unforgiving provided the answer he sought. He eased his aching body off up to lean against the nearest wall and remained there, breathing through the pain that had stabbed his wrist, side and leg.
A groan to the front of the jumper alerted him that someone else was waking up and that someone else was none other than Doctor Rodney McKay. The scientist turned his head this way and that, looking at hi surroundings before grumbling a very loud and over exaggerated, "Ow."
"Rodney, are you alright?" Carson called out taking relieved notice that the rest of the party was coming to as well.
"I think I've broken something," came the pained response almost spurring the doctor into movement. Thankfully the steady voice of John Sheppard stopped him just as the throbbing discomfort ratcheted up to fiery hot pain.
"Don't listen to him Doc, he always says that."
"I do not!" Rodney replied indignantly.
"You do," Ronon gruffed out in support of his friend and CO's claim.
Rodney continued to splutter in his defense, silenced only by the fact that it was true. Carson cut off any further arguing by asking, "Is everyone alright?"
"I'm fine," Ronon answered in the same gruff tone he normally used and Teyla answered, "I am unharmed."
He waited for John to answer but when no such reply came, Carson specifically asked, "Colonel, are you alright?"
"Other than feeling like my head's about to explode, I'm fine." John briefly lowered his head into his hands in hopes of relieving the tension but only managed to drive the spike of pain further into his skull. "How about you Doc? You haven't answered your own question and I noticed you're not making any attempt to move."
Carson let out a breath of annoyance but was saved from having to respond when Teyla chirped, "In all fairness Colonel, none of us have shown any intentions of moving."
"Where are we anyways?" Rodney asked as he leaned forward to peer out of the jumper windshield, holding his left hand as close to his chest as he could manage.
"If I had to guess, I'd say about three miles from the stargate," John answered slowly, nasally as he too peered through the window.
"Three miles?" Rodney cried out mournfully. To the not so physical scientist the distance may as well have been thirty miles. "Couldn't you have landed this thing a bit closer?"
"Crash landing isn't exactly a science Rodney," John replied tolerantly.
"It should be seeing as we manage to do it so often besides don't you guys receive training for how to fly these things? Is there some sort of test you flyboys have to pass, because if there is I'm thinking you need to re-take it?"
Rodney's mini-rant halted just as a curt, "Rodney," echoed from Ronon, Teyla, and Carson but they knew it hadn't been needed. They understood the physicist well enough to know how he reacted to certain situations and first on Rodney McKay's Holy Crap list was – blame someone else.
"Why yes Rodney we do have to pass a test and do you know who is always giving that test?" John answered, sarcasm hanging comfortably off his tone with every word. He paused for a moment to see if his friend was stupid enough to try to answer the rhetorical question before he continued, "Me."
"Where have we landed?" Teyla asked calmly, waiting for the right moment for a topic change before asking the most obvious question that at least three of her four other teammates were thinking.
"Well, it seems as though we've landed on a nice patch of dry earth, though where precisely is still a mystery." Surprise showed clearly on all of their faces when it had been Rodney that had answered instead of John. He took in their looks of astonishment before rolling his eyes. "What just because I don't fly these things I'm not allowed to know where we are?"
"No by all means McKay, lead away."
"Wait, what? Lead? I was just answering a simple question that any idiot could have answered, that does not mean I'm trying to lead anything."
"You calling yourself an idiot McKay?" Ronon asked with a playful glint shining brightly in his brown eyes.
"Oh for heaven's sake, let's get off this boat before we start taking jabs at one another, aye?" Carson was grumpy enough without having to listen to the three men bicker all morning. He, like he assumed they all were, wanted nothing more than to get back to Atlantis where he could crash in his quarters for a good twelve hours' sleep before his next shift started. It was true that being the CMO of Atlantis meant that he was often on duty, much like Atlantis' military men. However he also had a wonderful staff that could not only handle any emergencies that came their way, they could also handle their boss as well, often taking care of him when he refused to do it himself.
The rear hatch opened upon someone's mental command – whether it was John's or Carson's no one knew – and soon daylight flooded the dreary gray interior of the jumper, briefly blinding them with its intensity. The sound of seat belts being undone echoed throughout the ship and soon the two "alien" members of the expedition were moving around, gathering supplies that would be needed for the short trek to the gate. The group had long ago learned that it paid to be overly cautious when it came to safety and no longer gauged a simply three mile hike to be a "cake walk".
Teyla's first task after releasing herself from the chair behind John's was to quickly check on Rodney's wrist. She easily determined it to be lightly sprained before she moved on to Carson, leaving John for Ronon whom she'd discovered could often get through to her stubborn friend easier than she.
Though she had covered for the doctor when John had shined the proverbial spotlight on him, the Athosian was worried about Carson. Usually if there was anyone even reporting an injury after an accident, he was right by their side no matter if he believed them to be faking or not. So when the doctor had remained propped against the wall separating the cockpit from the rear compartment, even despite Rodney's claim at having broken his wrist, she had known – much like John she suspected – that something was wrong.
"Carson, are you injured?" she asked softly as she knelt before her immobile friend. She gently straightened his legs out in front of him while she waited for his reply but quickly stilled when he gave a brief cry of pain.
"Doc, what's wrong?" John asked, immediately alert at the sound of the doctor's pain. None of them needed to comment on how each and every one of their hearts gave a small jolt at the sound; it wasn't really needed after all because they all felt it every time one of them was injured and hurting.
If they had been pieces of a puzzle the user wouldn't have been able to fit them together into the family they had grown to be in the board of society, but out here in Pegasus the entire expedition had grown close. People you would normally not be able to stand back where you came from were now like cousins that you rarely spoke to but got along with when you did and those that you had grown very close to were more like brothers and sisters rather than colleagues. Sure there was the occasional romance springing up across Atlantis like flowers in spring, but it happened rarely. Most members of the expedition were, seemingly, always looking for someone to love but a lot of them found comfort in friends and family, complacent with those relationships until others came along.
Not long before this mission launched, John and Teyla had begun dating, slowly moving their relationship from teammates and dear friends to something more that was celebrated and betted on by all on Atlantis. Their closest friends had practically thrown their own "Finally!" party but each had congratulated them warmly in their turn, giving hugs to Teyla and, mostly, back-slaps to John.
Carson grimaced as deep bone throbbing pain attacked his right hip, clenching his teeth and do no more than trying to breathe slowly through them while he slowed his rapid breathing. "I must have hit my hip against the wall when I fell." No other pain in his body compared to what was pulsating from his hip and he instantly knew that this factor would make getting to the gate that much more difficult.
John moved from the console where he was trying to decide of anything was salvageable before they abandoned yet another jumper, and came to join Teyla in kneeling before his friend. "How bad?"
While Carson was not military trained he had spent enough time around military men, both of his world and of others, to know exactly what the Colonel was asking. His right hand snaked down to his hip, pressing gingerly over the injured hip wincing when he felt swollen tissue beneath his hands. Inhaling deeply to prepare for the pain he would feel next, the doctor gently pressed over the bones of his hip, happy when he didn't feel any give way beneath his touch.
"I'll be alright," he finally answered with a relieved sigh as he pulled his hand away from the joint, letting it fall to just outside it, protecting it from any other touch. Teyla handed him an ice pack that he promptly placed over his hip, making sure to avoid direct contact with the cold as he put it on top of his pants.
The Scot hadn't say anything more than three – well technically four – words but John had had no trouble hearing the rest of his silent sentence, the words for now echoing through his mind as though he had spoke them directing into his mind rather than out loud. In short, Carson was hurting and would need help getting to the gate so starting sooner rather than later was ideal. He waited until he saw Teyla hand a couple of ibuprofen to the doctor before he stood up, wincing when his head grumbled against the swift movement, and went about helping Ronon gather what they would need, including the medical supplies from both the jumper's well stocked emergency kit and Carson's med-pack, distributing it all evenly between five packs that were to be carried upon their backs.
When Teyla and Carson noticed that everyone seemed to be ready – even Rodney who had gotten loaded up without complaint and now waited at the opening of the jumper with his LSD in hand – the Athosian held out a supportive hand then hauled the injured man up. She'd made sure she was standing on his right side before she'd helped him so when he began to tip to the right, she was there to steady him, patiently waiting for him to get his feet beneath him before she let go.
She didn't think it was a good idea for Carson to walk unaided but she also understood male pride and stubbornness so she waited until he practically crumbled to the floor with a loud hiss before she silently slid under his right side, lending her sturdy body for him to lean on. Ideally Rodney should have been the one to help the Scot but given that he would have needed his left hand to hold onto Carson's waist – a wrist that was currently sprained and throbbing painfully – it would have only caused more pain for both men.
John walked fully out of the jumper first, bathing his pale form in brilliant, warm sunlight while he waited for the rest to join. He looked to the northwest, easily seeing their landing path through the broken trees and slowly began marching the group in that direction. He made sure to keep his pace slow enough not to tax Carson's injured him too much but quick enough for them to make steady progress as well.
Each team member remained silent through the slow even hike. Carson simply concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and not making a noise of pain every time he put weight on his right leg. Rodney constantly stole glances at the injured physician but mostly kept his eyes glued to the back of Sheppard's head. John, Teyla and Ronon kept their eyes and ears pealed for signs of attack from any life form. They already had two injured teammates, they didn't need more and weren't keen on getting ambushed.
Eventually Carson's strained breathing was the only sound they could hear, forcing John to call the trek to a halt giving them all a much needed rest. Ronon, he knew, could have gone for much longer but Carson and Rodney were not used to all the walking they were doing at such a quick pace and Teyla had that extra strain of carrying Carson to add to her usual weight. Carson wasn't a fat man but he was sturdy, his clothes hiding muscle that very few knew lurked beneath.
The physicist would never admit to it but Rodney felt utterly useless walking in the middle of the pack. Sure he was being used a pack mule but he also wasn't naïve enough to think everything inside the enormous backpack wasn't necessary. So when it came to starting up again, he quickly replaced Teyla at Carson's side.
"Rodney what about your wrist?" Carson asked in friendly and doctorly concern. He knew that the scientist was the perfect person to help support him the rest of the way. Of course he'd have to put up with the intermittent whining the physicist would do but he also knew, from reversed experience, that he was almost the same height and weight as Carson. He could easily support Carson's extra weight which helped to relieve some pressure of his right leg whenever he used it to walk.
"Well of course it will hurt a lot but Teyla has more important things to do than lug your lazy carcass across this planet." Rodney gave a dramatic eye roll but he suspected his act at annoyance had failed miserably when slight smiles could be seen on everyone's faces. It was maddening to see them so happy over him expressing concern and he was almost tempted to yell, "Yes this Grinch has a heart!" but he remained exasperatedly quiet in case his outburst should draw unwanted attention.
"Aye, if you're sure but I don't want ta hear ya complain the entire way. You understand? Otherwise I have some very big needles and I believe your annual physical is coming up." Carson understood Rodney's desire for normalcy and did his best to uphold the illusion as best he could. Thanks to his body wearing down under the constant attack of pain, he wasn't at one hundred percent and therefore was finding it harder to keep up with the friendly banter that was normally passed around between the three male friends of this group.
The group started off once again, smiling as the banter continued between strained grunts and pained pants.
"Please, like that threat scares me any more. You're the tolerant parent that always threatens and never follows through. If you like I can give you Jeanie's number; I'm sure she can give you pointers on how to discipline your children," Rodney answered in both a scoff and a tease. Truthfully he was terrified of the idea of an angry Carson with his needles but he wasn't about to let onto to that if he could help it; they were still teasing him over fainting three years ago and every once in awhile loopy comments of "that's my ass!" could be heard following him to his quarters after a post mission checkup.
The beautiful site of the magnificent stargate came into view, making them all pause in appreciation before John stepped up to the DHD and began dialing. He couldn't believe it! They'd actually made it to the gate without being attacked, ambushed, or hunted for lunch; it had to be a first for SGA-1. His joyous thoughts were momentarily interrupted by Carson giving a loud pain filled cry. He turned around it was to see the physician holding his right leg off the ground and glaring at a particularly big rock – apparently he'd tripped over it with his right foot, jerking the injured hip.
The blue wormhole connected and John radioed through announcing that they would need a medic and a jumper recovery/salvage team there waiting for them. He waited for the 'go ahead' to come through then proceeded to motion McKay and Carson through, Teyla following behind next, then Ronon and finally him last. Before he went through, he gave a quick last-glance look at the planet and said a silent prayer of thank you, to whatever deity the inhabitants of the planet worshipped, for allowing his team to get back relatively safe and sound.
Just as his left hand touched the puddle of the wormhole, a swift, gentle breeze brushed against his face and though some later called him crazy, he knew he'd felt three words in the wind.
"You are Welcome."
~fin~