Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Stargate Atlantis

A/N: This is my first ever fan fic. Hope you like it. Any and all reviews will be greatly appreciated.

He flashed her his trademark, lopsided grin before he stepped through the gate on what should have been a simple trading mission. Teyla had traded with the people of MX4-238 for many years and had judged them to be an honest, peaceful people.

Even so every time he stepped through the gate she became nervous and on edge. Worried that this time he might not be coming back, he had had so many close calls over the past year that she felt she had a right to worry. Even if she did make the gate technicians life a misery every time he and his team was off world.

However, this time it seemed that her worries had been justified. Colonel Sheppard's team had come barrelling through the gate barely an hour after they had gated off world. She had been in her office when she had heard the now, unfortunately all too familiar warning

"Unscheduled off world activation" She had made her way quickly to the balcony overlooking the gate room, praying that it would not be Major Sheppard's team that emerged from the gate. It seemed however, that her prayers were not to be answer as the gate technician informed her,

"Ma'am, I'm receiving SGA 1's IDC"

"Lower the shield" She ordered, her mind momentarily wondering as to what kind of trouble the Colonel and his team had managed to get themselves into this time.

She watched as Colonel Sheppard's team came barrelling through the gate, unceremoniously landing in a heap on the gate room floor. There was a flurry of activity around her that Elizabeth barely registered as she stood staring in horror at the bruised and bloodied but ultimately unconscious forms of Teyla, Lieutenant Ford and Dr Rodney McKay. Elizabeth's eyes darted around wildly, desperately searching for a fourth figure, that of Colonel Sheppard, however he was nowhere to be found.

As she made her way down to the floor of the gate room, still lost in her own thoughts, her shock at seeing the unconscious figures before her quickly turned into anger, she knew that it was irrational but she thought to herself, How the hell could they just leave Sheppard behind? Her anger at the team was quickly pushed from her mind as more important thoughts took their place. Where was he? Was he ok? Was he in the same state, or worse, as his team? Was he even alive? No, she quickly became angry at herself for even thinking that he might not be alive. Of course he was alive and they were going to bring him home. She barely registered the figure of Dr Carson Beckett, running towards her, closely followed by what seemed the entire medical staff. She had no idea how long she had been standing there, lost in her thoughts. She hadn't even heard anyone call for a med team.

"What the hell happened" Came Carson's familiar Scottish brogue, pulling her from her thoughts, as he ran over to the three figures littering the gate room.

"I don't know" was Elizabeth's reply. Carson immediately began checking his patients one by one.

Deeming Teyla to be most in need of medical attention, considering she was bleeding profusely from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Beckett called for two orderlies to assist in him in manoeuvring the Athosian onto one of the waiting gurneys.

"Ok, we need to get her into surgery stat" came Beckett's controlled, professional reply.

Damn Elizabeth thought to herself, why the hell couldn't she be like that. Every time that a team came back injured, she was a complete wreck, her mind always wandering to the worst case scenario.

She watched silently as Teyla was wheeled away at a rapid pace towards the infirmary, and the waiting OR.

Beckett, ever the professional quickly turned his attention to Ford and McKay. Checking both unconscious men over before placing their prone forms gently onto gurneys, with the help of several more of his nurses, before they too were wheeled away towards the infirmary.

Beckett stood, looking perplexed at the very anxious Elizabeth.

"I don't understand why they're both unconscious. There are no external injuries. I can'nee see any reason for them to be unconscious"

"Well, then why are they unconscious?" She snapped, her voice harsher then she had intended. She needed them to wake up and tell her what had happened to them on that damned planet, and where the Colonel was so that she could send a rescue team to bring him home.

Carson, a little taken aback by her outburst replied dejectedly, "I don't know but I'll do all I can." His eyes scanning the gate room he added "Where's the Colonel? I bloody hope he isn't trying to avoid his post mission check-up. I know he doesn't like them, but it is nee like him to leave his team, especially when they're sick. I usually have to chuck him out of the infirmary." Carson catching that Elizabeth was staring, longingly at the stargate stopped talking, becoming more and more worried by the second, by the conspicuous absence of the Colonel.

There was a long uncomfortable silence, that seemed to last forever, as Elizabeth stood, eyes transfixed on the inactive gate, wishing desperately to hear the familiar whoosh of an incoming wormhole and for Sheppard to come running through and shout April fools. Eventually resigning to the fact that however much she wanted him to he wasn't just going to come walking through the gate she tore herself away and locked eyes with the now extremely worried Carson Beckett.

"I don't know" If he had not been listening intently for her response he would have missed it, it was so quiet "He never came back through the gate" Her mood quickly changed as she snapped "I need his team to wake up so I can find out what happened. We never leave a man behind" She echoed the words that Sheppard had used to her on so many occasions. He had risked his life to save the lives of so many others and now it was his life that needed saving, and at the moment she had no way of helping him.

Beckett ignoring his own emotions at the news that the Military commander of Atlantis, someone who had become a good friend after saving his butt so many times was MIA, never letting his carefully constructed doctor façade slip replied, "I'll do everything that I can for his team". He turned away dejectedly from Elizabeth, not sure if she had heard him because she was once again staring transfixed, seemingly in a world of her own at the inactive stargate, as he made his way back to the infirmary and his three waiting patients.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading. Any and all reviews welcome