AN: Thank you to everyone so far for the reviews/comments! I love reading them and it encourages me to keep writing! Hope you enjoy the next installment and hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas!
Teyla was horrified at the extent of John's wounds. The beast had clawed him in the right side and the flesh was torn deeply enough she thought that she could see bone. McKay had been sick when he saw the extent of the damage but was struggling to stay and help. To make matters worse, John's eyes had rolled back and his body shook with convulsions. Teyla was sure the beast had something in its claws - perhaps poison - else there would have been no reason for the convulsions.
It took several minutes for John's body to relax and even then, he was rigid in pain, his eyes tightly closed and every muscle in his jaw taut. Teyla had ripped her jacket into pieces and was trying to apply pressure to the wounds in his side with McKay's help. The blood was soaking through the improvised bandages as though they were not there, and Teyla was worried at how much blood John was losing. His skin was beginning to take on a greyish hue and it was cold and clammy to the touch.
Ronan was banging on the door and trying to use brute strength to bash it down. He had checked on the beast after Sheppard had made his miraculous throw with the knife, and it was definitely dead. He had pulled the knife from the animal's mouth, cleaned it, then slipped it into his boot.
"Ronan," Teyla said, "Please help."
Ronan reluctantly moved away from the door and knelt next to the Athosian, putting his hands over Sheppard's wounds so Teyla could take a break. Her hands and forearms were covered in blood and trembling from exertion.
At that moment, the door opened, and Gatak and his troop of men stood in the entryway, warily looking at the dead beast in front of the Stargate. McKay stood up and marched over to them, his hands, too, covered in blood.
"Were you trying to kill us?" McKay demanded angrily.
"Is it dead?" Gatak asked.
"Yes, it's dead," McKay said in annoyance. "We need help. Colonel Sheppard's been injured. If you just let us get to the DHD we can go home and be out of your hair."
"I'm afraid that will not be possible," Gatak said. Suddenly, his voice had turned cold and he touched what appeared to be a longsword at his belt. "You will come with us."
"This man is dying," Teyla said desperately. "He needs a doctor."
"Get a stretcher," Gatak ordered one of his men.
While the designated man left for the stretcher, Gatak and the rest of his men entered the chamber cautiously, taking out their swords and backing Ronan, McKay and Teyla against the wall away from Sheppard.
"I thought this place was taboo," Ronan commented.
"You have killed the beast," Gatak responded. "This changes many things for us."
The man who left reappeared moments later with a stretcher. Teyla noted with dismay the growing pool of blood under John. Two men maneuvered John onto the stretcher, then set off down the corridor. Ronan, Teyla and McKay were bound with heavy rope and then accompanied down the passageway after the Colonel. Teyla could see Ronan's eyes flickering towards the knife concealed in his boot, but she could tell he had decided the time was not right. There were too many men and though they were small, these men were powerful and had easily taken them out earlier.
They were met at the entranceway to the throne chamber by Fayne.
"Take them to the prison," she ordered.
"Sheppard needs a doctor," McKay protested. "He'll die if he doesn't get help soon."
"We have the best doctors here," Fayne answered. "He will be treated. That does not mean that you escape your fate."
"What is our fate?" Ronan demanded.
"This is not the time or place to talk of such matters," Fayne hissed. "Take them away."
It was another long and dark trek to a low ceilinged chamber with iron bars dividing the place into several small cells. A strange mist swirled across the floor and the air was cold and damp. McKay and Ronan were shoved into one chamber and Sheppard's stretcher was placed in a cell next to theirs. Teyla was placed in the cell opposite. Their bonds were not removed.
"We have called a doctor," Gatak told them.
Sheppard's breathing had become ragged and shallow, and Teyla watched his every breath with worry. Ronan and McKay stood at the side of their cell facing Sheppard. They were nearly within arm's reach of the man but could do nothing for him. Gatak and his men had spread out around the prison area and Teyla suspected that these were this world's version of a military or armed guard.
Only moments later, a small statured man rushed into the prison area. He had two assistants and they were directed to Sheppard's cell. They quickly set up a small table and moved Sheppard's stretcher onto it. Teyla watched everything they did carefully.
The doctor looked up at Ronan and McKay and asked them, "Are you with this man?"
"Yes," McKay replied.
"What happened to him?"
"That beast thing by the Stargate clawed him."
The doctor shook his head as he pulled up Sheppard's shirt to see the damage. "The beast has poison in its claws and fangs. It will take long for him to heal completely."
One of the assistants took out a mass of green vegetation from a bag they had carried with them and began mixing it up and mashing it in a large wooden bowl.
"These herbs are rare," the doctor explained as he took out a needle and thread and began sewing up the worst of Sheppard's wounds. "I hope for your sake he survives for our lady will not be happy we were forced to use these on him. Nothing else will save his life, otherwise."
Sheppard was shifting on the stretcher, flinching at the touch of the needle. The doctor motioned to one of his assistants to hold Sheppard's shoulders in order to keep him still.
Once he finished sewing the wounds, the doctor took the paste the assistant had made and began applying it to Sheppard's side. Sheppard moaned and Teyla could see him struggling to regain consciousness. One of the assistants took a rag out of the bag, dipped it in a liquid substance and then held it over Sheppard's nose and mouth. The Colonel struggled for a moment, then went limp.
"What was that?" Teyla asked.
"We had to put him to sleep," one of the assistants answered. "We would not be able to manage him if he awakens. He will be in great pain."
It took some time for the doctor and his assistants to pack the herbs into Sheppard's side and then wrap it with clean cloths. Teyla noted the herbs must have done some help for the bleeding had stopped.
The doctor finished, wiping his hands on a clean cloth, and turned to look at them. "Now we go," he said. "I can do no more. He will have a fever tonight. If he can get through that then he will live."
The doctor and his assistants left Sheppard on the table and disappeared down one of the corridors. Teyla pleaded with Gatak to let one of them stay with Sheppard, but the man turned away without a word.
Eventually, all of Gatak's men disappeared. Teyla felt her eyes growing heavy and realized it was probably late at night. Ronan kept vigil by Sheppard's side of the cell and McKay paced impatiently, occasionally testing the iron bars.
"Cut me loose," McKay said to Ronan after a few minutes, offering his wrists to the man.
"I don't think it's a good idea right now," Ronan replied.
"What?"
Ronan looked at the empty doorway then turned to McKay and said quietly, "I don't want these guys to know we have a knife. As soon as they know that we've lost the advantage. Our hands are tied in front of us so we can move and we can still do things."
"When is the time going to be right?" McKay hissed.
Ronan turned back towards Sheppard. "I'll let you know."
The night was long, and the few flickering torches that dotted the walls dimmed over the hours. Sheppard was restless on the table and Teyla was worried that he might fall off. He cried out in his sleep several times and Teyla wondered if he was dreaming about the beast or if it was his wounds causing him pain. Her eyes drooped and though she tried her hardest to stay awake, before she knew it, Teyla was asleep.