Title: Hostage
Author: stella_pegasi
Rating: K+ Hurt/Comfort, a little action, and whump to almost everyone, comfort to one character.
Word Count: 2254
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Whumpy
Characters: Hostage plus others.
Summary: A hostage is in danger but who will make the rescue?
Disclaimer: I do not own them; I would have treated them better.
Notes: Written for the Sheppard_h/c community's Flash Fic Challenge: Light or Dark on LiveJournal. Instructions were for a dark or light plot bunny, even a fluffy plot bunny and the interpretation of the prompt could be a literal or subjective. So the question is…is this story light or dark or fluffy????
Hostage
By stella_pegasi
The corridors were dark in the ancient facility; he had willed the lights out as he approached in order to keep under the cover of darkness. It was the best advantage that he had, that and his military skills but he was up against some cunning adversaries and he knew that he was going to have to be careful.
He slipped along the darkened corridor, listening for telltale signs that someone was close by but he could only hear the sound of his own breathing. There were two more levels to go before he would reach the level where the hostage was located. He felt confident if he could get there he would be successful in freeing the hostage but getting there was the problem. He knew that others were in the area and they were after the hostage as well.
Ahead he caught glimpse of a faint bluish glow and a narrow white beam of light and he quickly ducked behind a column. Crap, he muttered when he realized the blue glow was from an Ancient scanner. Afraid he had been discovered, he ran in the opposite direction down the pitch black corridor, brushing his fingers along the wall so that he didn't get disoriented. He was going to have to get to the staircase on the other side of the building and get there quickly. Someone was as close as he was and he didn't know the whereabouts of the others.
Skirting around to the corridor that ran along the outside of the building, he located the staircase and descended as quietly as he could. The back staircase ended on that level and he took a few moments to get his bearings and listen for anyone close by. Hearing nothing, he took a corridor that cut across the level, the sconces on the walls going out as he neared. He was almost halfway to the main staircase when a large burly figure stepped out into the corridor and pushed him backwards. He fell onto his rear and went sliding down the corridor. He heard a sinister laugh and in the faint ambient light from sconces in the distance he could see the large man headed toward the staircase. He struggled up, his legs a bit rubbery, but got his bearings back; taking a deep breath, he ran down the corridor as fast as he could. He was behind and there was a hostage at risk.
When he reached the staircase, he took a quick peek down to the landing and couldn't sense anyone on the first tier of steps. He descended as far as the landing and then looked over the railing to the level below, there were lights near by and he turned them off with a thought and headed for the deck. He was finally on the level where the hostage was being held. There was someone was ahead of him, so he had to be careful.
He knew exactly where the hostage was and he was just corridors away. He had to make a couple of turns and that's where he would be the most vulnerable. As he reached the first turn he heard footsteps behind him and glancing back, he saw the faint bluish glow again. Thinking quickly, he willed the bulkhead doors closed and they snapped shut just as his adversary reached them. He heard a cry of pain which faded as the doors closed. Good, that's one down, three others to go and he would have the hostage.
The corridor in front of him seemed clear and he took off, again letting his fingers brush the wall to keep his bearings. One more turn and he would have a clear shot to the room where the hostage was. His heart started racing again as he heard a sound behind him. He had just enough time to turn before he felt strong hands push him out of the way and a smaller figure ran passed him, heading for the target. Bouncing off the corridor wall, he felt something give way in his shoulder but he straightened up and took off after his assailant.
There it was, the doorway; the smaller figure was nearly there and in the distance he could hear heavier footsteps heading towards them. He doubled his pace and just as the smaller man put his hand over the door sensor, he pushed him out of the way, thought the door open, and ran inside.
He thought he was home free until he felt a large blow and the bigger man from earlier plowed into him from behind and they both went sailing into a metal storage unit. Gallons of liquid and boxes and bags of items flew off the shelves; then the unit tipped over on top of the larger man. He fell into something slick, started sliding, and slammed into a cold glass door about ten feet away. Whatever he did to his shoulder in the corridor was worse now, excruciating pain radiated from his left shoulder and he was pretty sure it was dislocated. Regardless, he had to get to the hostage. He pulled himself up, sliding in the slick puddle on the floor and was almost on his feet when another body came through the door, hit another slick spot, fell and slid into him, knocking him off his feet again. This time he hit his forehead on the metal edge of the glass door and felt something warm and sticky trailing down his nose into his mouth. Crap, he had cut his head; this was not going as planned.
He was stunned and decided to sit there for a bit before he tried to get up. It was then that he saw two more figures enter the room and both began to slide in the slick liquid. The big man had almost gotten out from under the storage rack when one of the new arrivals hit him and both of them slammed into a cabinet. The smaller of the figures fell into the one who had the scanner and they both slid into him. This time he hit the door hard enough that it knocked him out.
They had created enough noise to alert security and when the night duty Marines turned on the lights in the mess kitchen, they found Colonel John Sheppard on the floor, bloody and unconscious; his shoulder at a very strange angle. Dr. Rodney McKay was sprawled over Sheppard's legs, apparently unconscious as well. Lying next to McKay was a dazed Dr. Radek Zelenka, glasses askew and his hair matted from what appeared to cooking oil. Major Evan Lorne, in obvious pain was grabbing his knee, a gash across his forehead and underneath him an obviously aggravated Ronon Dex whose left arm was bent at a very strange angle. Every one of them were covered in cooking oil, flour and sugar that had fallen off the storage shelves and broken open.
Lieutenant Harmon Maines was trying to keep a straight face; obviously his CO and the XO were hurt as were Ronon, McKay and Zelenka but he knew the reputation of all of these men. They were up to some kind of mischief and things apparently had gone very badly wrong.
Ronon noted the confusion on the lieutenant's face and said what he thought was the only appropriate thing to say, "Sheppard won." He pointed to the glass-door refrigerator that Sheppard was slumped against. Above his head, visible on a shelf sat a piece of coconut pie; the hostage, a piece of pie being kept in the kitchen.
Maines just looked at Ronon and back to the colonel with an incredulous look on his face and tapped his COM. "Infirmary, this is Lt. Maines; I have five injured personnel in the mess kitchen and need EMT'S…possible broken bones and a couple of these guys are unconscious. Oh…and bring a mop."
Several hours later, Richard Woolsey was standing in the infirmary taking stock of the injured.
Dr. Carson Beckett was filling in for Dr. Keller who had returned to the SGC for a medical symposium and he was standing in the center of the general ward, smiling.
"Doctor, what do you find so amusing?"
"Ah, Mr. Woolsey, come to visit the children? I'm smiling because I wouldn't have missed this for anything." His brogue was exceptionally thick from his excitement.
"Are they all asleep?" Woolsey didn't see of the injured who appeared awake.
"No, not a one of them but they are too embarrassed to talk so they are pretending to be asleep. I believe they think I might go away but no such luck. The wee lads are stuck with me." Beckett was grinning widely and bounced his head side to side in glee.
"Dr. Beckett, these men are hurt, I fail to see any humor in this."
"Aye, Mr. Woolsey, they're hurt but they'll live. Not any less than they deserved for their little escapade."
"So what are their injuries, doctor and how long will I be without my command staff." Woolsey was having just a bit of difficulty reconciling the doctor's humor with the situation.
Beckett was trying to be serious but he was losing the battle; however, he composed himself to answer Woolsey. Walking over to Colonel Sheppard's bed he began.
"Colonel Sheppard, dislocated his shoulder, cut his forehead which has required seven stitches. I was going to close his wound with a large needle but Marie made me use a fine needle so he wouldn't have a scar; he has suffered some really deep bruises to his hips, arms and legs and does have a slight concussion. He will be out a minimum of one week."
Next Dr. McKay's bed, "A week for Dr. McKay; he also suffered a slight concussion and sprained his back."
Then Dr. Zelenka, "Radek was lucky, he hit his head but he doesn't have a concussion; however, he does have serious bruises all over his body. I am keeping him overnight and then confining him to his quarters for a while, not certain how long."
Turning to the other side of the room, he continued, "Major Lorne has a seriously sprained knee and a gash on his forehead which required nine stitches; no concussion. He will need to be off that knee for at least two weeks."
Pointing to Ronon, Beckett said, "Last but not least, Ronon has a broken left arm; six weeks."
Woolsey looked at Sheppard and could have sworn that he saw the colonel sneak a peek at them. "You say they're awake?" Beckett nodded, still smiling. Woolsey walked over to Sheppard's bed.
"Colonel, I know you're awake; would you like to explain?"
Sheppard's eyes opened slowly, "Hi, Mr. Woolsey, uh…sir. Uh….well, it started pretty innocently. Ronon, McKay and I had just returned from a mission and after post-mission checkup, we decided to get something to eat. Radek and Lorne were also late to the mess hall for dinner and we all ended up eating together. Radek was excited about the coconut pie that was being served but apparently all of the pies were gone except for one piece by the time we got to the mess. I guess because there was only one piece left, we all began to crave a piece of coconut pie. So we thought one piece and five forks and everyone would at least get a bite. So Radek went to get the piece from the cook who had put it away and he found out that someone had 'reserved' the pie slice and the cook wouldn't let Radek have it."
"This was all over a piece of coconut pie, colonel."
Sheppard looked a bit sheepish, "Yes, sir."
"So how did the midnight raid come about?"
"Well, when Radek found out that whoever had reserved the pie wasn't planning on picking it up until lunch time tomorrow…er…today, we figured it was fair game. So we decided that we would each run a covert operation and see who got there first. Didn't exactly turn out how we thought."
"I would say that is an understatement, colonel. Now I have several of my most important personnel out of commission."
"Well, yeah but look at it this way, Mr. Woolsey, I can catch up on my paperwork."
Woolsey sighed, "Yes, you certainly will, colonel."
Just then one of the mess hall attendants entered the infirmary and brought a covered plate to Dr. Beckett. Sheppard sat up and looked at Beckett.
"Carson, what is that? What did you just get from the mess hall?" The mention of mess hall brought the other four mischief makers out of their 'slumber' and they were all looking at Beckett.
With a flourish, Dr. Carson Beckett took the cover off the small dish and displayed his prize, a piece of coconut pie. "Aye, colonel that it is. I asked the cook to keep this piece back for me and I hadn't planned on having this wonderful piece of pie until lunch today. However, I got a wee hankering for a piece of coconut pie after hearing all the chatting about it." He took a big bite, "Ummmm…good coconut pie." Beckett just grinned.
Sheppard and the others just plopped back onto their pillows not wanting to watch Beckett eat the piece of pie, their piece of pie.
As Woolsey left the infirmary, he laughed to himself; no need to enact any punishment on these grown men, Carson Beckett just did.
Fin