Chapter 2

Teyla was the next one to wake up. She was feeling a little dizzy and it took some minutes to realize the circumstances but she was back on her feet. Ronon was the last one to come back from the stupor of the crash. The Sateda was a strong man. Maybe the strongest man ever stepped in Atlantis. Ronon Dex hit his head in the corner of the Jumper with the impact. The Sateda man was bleeding with a possible contusion in the head when Teyla approached him.

"Ronon." She called him trying to identify his injuries. "How are you feeling?" She added.

"I have been worst." He looked up, meeting her worried gaze. "I will be fine." He added.

"You hurt your head." She commented. "How many fingers do you see? Teyla asked him pointed 2 fingers at him.

"Two". He answered relieved. "I am fine, Teyla" He insisted.

"I am fine as well." She told him before he had the chance to ask.

Teyla could tell the Sateda man would be OK. He was strong. She was worried about the other two men in the front.

"John? Rodney!?" She shouted.

"I am OK!" Rodney answered back. "I am fine." He added hesitant.

Teyla felt relieved. Rodney was speaking he was OK. That was a really good sign. But her heart pounded in fear when she didn't hear the colonel's voice.

"John?" She insisted approaching. Teyla was able to see Rodney worried face. No…please…no…Rodney put John Sheppard in the floor. The man was laid down unconscious. Teyla could see some blood in his head. She approached quickly and knelt close to him. Breathing... Please be breathing. She touched his neck and his wrist. "Thank God." She whispered.

"He is not answering." Rodney commented. "He is unconscious and unaware of everything that just happened." He lifted up his brow. "I hope he wakes up soon."

Teyla nodded with frustration. "Yes, me too." She said firmly. And quickly, Teyla took her jacket off and shaped it as a little pillow and comforted the colonel's head. She wondered if he was hurt in somewhere else. Oh, John… where is hurting? Please wake up. Please tell me what is wrong. He was unconscious, but the injury in the head didn't look so severe to keep him unable to wake up.

Rodney watched as Teyla started the nursing process. I could have thought of that. The jacket is a good idea to keep his head up than his body. But I was not even sure if I should have moved him! He passed his eyes on Teyla. You don't look hurt. That is good. "You look fine." He commented.

"Yes, I am OK, Rodney." She looked at him with a forceful smile.

How can you be so calm? How can you still have strength to force a smile? Rodney just wished he could have Teyla's reaction for stressful moments. He took a look at Ronon. He heard voices before, and that meant he was awake as well. That was good. "How is Ronon?" He asked Teyla, still wondering the severity of John's injury. Why doesn't he wake up? Oh no, no, no...hope he is not in some kind of coma. Here you go Rodney…always thinking the worst of everything. Why can't you just try to see the good side? We landed, we are all alive! And Ronon? He better be OK...We could use his savage skills for sure. No, no, no. Stop! He is your friend! What kind of creature are you? You are worried about him of course. Admit!

"He also hurt his head with the impact." Teyla look up Rodney with a worried gaze. "But he is conscious." She continued with a relief.

"That is good, right?" Rodney asked.

"Yes, Rodney. It is." Teyla confirmed.

McKay moved toward Ronon. "Hey." He said. "How're you doing?"

"I am fine." Ronon answered confidently. "I see you are good too." He added.

"Well, you can say that." Rodney retorted. "At least I didn't hit my head and I am not unconscious." He completed hesitant. "But I don't know. I may have an intern bleeding that I am not aware of."

"Possible." Ronon hissed.

"Rodney, please help Ronon with some bandage on his head." Teyla said. "I am almost finished with John." She added while cleaning the visible wounds in John's front head and another injure close to his eye. But besides that she couldn't see anything else.

"If he let me, you mean." Rodney hissed.

"How is he doing?" Ronon asked concerned about Sheppard.

"We don't know yet." Rodney said back. "Hey, hey…what are you doing?" He demanded.

Ronon was feeling well enough to get up.

"You should rest more!" Rodney complained. "If you have a contusion, you need to be careful. You know that, right!?" He insisted even believing Ronon would not listen to him.

Ronon was back on his feet. It took some seconds for him to adjust his vision again. He had the sensation that the compartment was moving around a little bit. That is odd. Come on big guy… Funny the way Sheppard calls me. Ronon narrowed his eyes towards Rodney and concentrated. Two McKays is too much for me. I will have to get rid of one of you. He focused and finally he was able to see just one Rodney in front of him. "That is better". He murmured.

Teyla held Sheppard's hand with the anticipation he would hold hers back. But nothing happened. John Sheppard was still unconscious of his surround. Come on John… let me see those beautiful hazel eyes of yours. She touched his front head. No fever, no cold sweat. That was good. Maybe you are just resting. You know when you wake up we will not let you alone. She took a deep worried breath and went to take a look at Ronon.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

Ronon Dex was already standing up by the Jumper door.

"We need to know where we are." He said. "I am fine." He insisted opening the door.

Teyla was displeased. She gave a dark look at Rodney wondering why he didn't tell him to stay at rest a little longer. Yes, right. No even Sheppard would stop Ronon of doing something if he really wanted to. Sheppard...his silence was louder than anything. It was the only thing they could hear. And in silence, Teyla understood when Ronon look at her asking for answers. She nodded in frustration. No, Ronon. He didn't wake up yet.

Ronon turned around to the entrance. As soon as the door opened, the sound and smell surrounding the place was almost palpable. Still stand up at the edge of the entrance, he could see the majestic trees. Rodney and Teyla got closer to the entrance. They were also curious about their situation. The forest floor was an inhospitable, damp, dark and full of potentially danger. Ronon stepped outside for a moment. The place was like nowhere he had been before. It was a place of subterfuge and camouflage, where nothing was as it appeared. He shot rapidly at one unnoticeable snake disguised as a leaf litter getting into the Jumper. That can't be good…

Rodney moved suddenly in surprise. He was not expecting that. Ok…Then we suppose to walk back to the gate through this? The sound of the birds, bugs and whatever else was out there got louder and louder with the blast.

Teyla look at Ronon, meeting his worried gaze with one of her own. They knew would not be an easy task. Rodney swallowed hard, almost audible. He never liked these journeys into deep forests that once in a while they were used to do. But that look in Ronon's eyes didn't help to calm down his anxiety. They were in trouble. How far are we from the gate anyway? Rodney started thinking about how far Sheppard took the aircraft to. Poor Sheppard. You better wake up, and wake up well enough to fight against these things on the path. That is what you do best, right? You are trained to survive. And we will definitely need your skills. Here you go again Rodney… Damn it! Can't you stop thinking about yourself? The poor guy is unconscious! He has no idea what happened.

"How far do you think we are from the Gate, Rodney?" Teyla asked.

"Funny, you know. I was just thinking about that." He snapped.

"Mckay…" Ronon demanded.

Rodney rolled his eyes. Maybe 10, 20 miles. I guess. I am not sure the speed Sheppard was going. "At least 15 miles." He said after some mental calculations. "But I am not sure". He said moving away to the cabin control. "Can you please keep an eye on the door or close it? That would be a better option for now." He added passing by colonel Sheppard still laid down without any movement.

Teyla stepped inside the Jumper and squeezed a spider coming with her. She went to check on Sheppard. No change at all. He was still in the same position. It is so strange to see you like this, John, so vulnerable… depending on who cares about you. You are a very luck man. Even I know you don't realize that. All of us here would do anything for you. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to give my life for yours. She touched his face with tender.

Rodney was doing some calculations with the readings from the Jumper. He wanted to find out how far for sure they were from the Gate. The power from the controls was going in and out and it was not help him. He took a quick pick with the corner of the eye at Sheppard and Teyla. Why do they have to do things so complicate? Rodney snapped. Even a blind can see they are crazy for each other.

Maybe Teyla's cold hand or the noise of Ronon closing the door came timely to make Sheppard return to life. His eyes were still closed, the brow contracted, but the movement of his hand was what Teyla was waiting for anxiously. "John…" She said softly.

Rodney approached quickly. That is good. Come on, wake up...

I can hear your voice Teyla. Where are you? It sounds so far. Teyla…? Slowly and without any idea of the circumstances, Sheppard opened his eyes. But suddenly, his breath was rapid and filled with fear.

"It is ok John." Teyla said serenely. "You are safe. We are all safe." She added.

"That is not technically tr…"Rodney started but stopped as soon as Ronon gave him a tenebrous dark look.

"You landed the Jumper." She paused. "We are fine."

It must be true. You sound calm. We must have landed. Damn it! I made it. His contracted brow was a signal of pain and Teyla knew Sheppard very well. He would disguise the pain if was not excruciating. He tried to get up, but she didn't allow. "No, no, no." She commanded. "How do you feel? Where is hurting? She asked worried.

"I will be good…it just a damn headache." John answered. "Are you OK?" He asked.

"Yes, we are good." Ronon said approaching.

"We are fine, John." Teyla insisted.

"McKay…?" Sheppard said already waiting for any absurd comment.

"I am fine." Rodney retorted.

"Good." John said trying to sit down with Teylas's help. She disagreed, but she knew he was too stubborn. I must be really in bad shape for Rodney feel sorry for me and don't comment anything about the damn mission. "Why is so dark in here? He as asked.

Rodney looked around. The lights were going in and out once in a while, but it was not that dark at all. Rodney took a quick look at the bottom of the control and he saw the short circuit. Oh boy, you probably got electrocuted.

"What do you mean, John?" Teyla asked suspicious as she passed her hand in front of him. John didn't demonstrate any reaction for it. His brow still contracted and his gaze meeting nothing in special. Teyla felt a chill running down her spine. She feared the worst.

Rodney covered the head with the hand in frustration. I can't believe on that. How is that possible? Is he blind? What a…"That make no sense. How did it happen?" He asked crankily.

"Isn't dark, is it?" John asked equally frustrated. He bit his lip and looked down. Besides don't be able to see any of them, he knew they were staring at him with concern and pity. He forced himself to think rationally. He massaged his front head trying to relieve the pain. Damn it. This headache is a pain in the ass. The silence for his question said everything. He was blind.

Ronon stepped away for a moment. He took a deep breath. Great…

"It is not dark, John." Teyla murmured finally. "You must be temporally blind for some reason." She added.

John winced. "Yeah." He said apathetically. He could feel the sorrow and worries in her voice. I hope you are right, Teyla. It is a temporally thing. I will have no use for you guys if not. John knew Ronon was concerned about it. Now, wherever their situation was, Ronon was the strongest link. John began a slow move into a better position with Teyla helping him as well. "How far are we from the Gate?" He asked seriously. His brow furrowed. For some reason he was blind, but he was still in charge as far as he knew.

TBC…

Ps. Thank you for your comments. It is always good to know that someone is reading. I will update more frequently. Get ready for some more whump and a little bit of Sheyla.