Part 8

Voices shouting for medics, people moving quickly in and out of his field of vision, and the unfamiliar face that loomed above his own caused Carson's heart rate to increase dramatically. Not able to see the strange hair and bearded face of the only person he knew, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, hoping that wherever it was that Dex had brought him, that it would not be back to the hellhole of his memories.

"Carson?" a woman said softly. Gentle hands held either side of his face, keeping his head and neck still. Refusing to look at her, he waited for whatever it was that they were going to do to him.

"Carson, can you open your eyes?" the woman spoke again, her voice urging him to at least glance her way. She didn't sound threatening and Dex had told him that they were going home. Maybe they had made it. But where was the large man?

He listened to the continuing noises and heard someone mention gunshot wounds. Another spoke rapidly, something about losing too much blood. The female voice that had called for him to look at her was now speaking to someone else, asking about Ronon. Didn't Dex say his name was Ronon?

Peeling heavy lids back, he cautiously shifted his gaze off to the side, deliberately avoiding the face that still hovered above his own. Several figures were gathered in a tight group and when one stepped away to retrieve an item before rushing back, he noticed the odd thick hair splayed across the nearby small bed on wheels. The giant lie deathly still on his side with odd, yet strangely familiar, bags attached to his arms.

Needing to know what happened to his rescuer; he tried to calm his racing heart and chanced a glance to look at the person who was still holding him. It was a man, not nearly as big as Dex, dressed in some sort of uniform.

When the stranger realized that he was being watched, a smile blossomed across his face. "Hey, Doc. How are you doing?"

Carson frowned, his brows drawing together in confusion. Apparently the man knew him. Opening his mouth, he wanted desperately to ask a question but still the words wouldn't come.

The man seemed to understand. "Just a little longer, okay? Dr. Biro wants to get Ronon stable and shipped off to the OR before she can come over and see what's got you so quiet."

The group around Dex suddenly appeared startled and all turned to look in their direction, their focus instantly falling on Carson.

"Major Lorne," the soft spoken woman from minutes before urgently called over, "hold Dr. Beckett completely still using spinal precautions."

The group surrounding the gurney divided, one team pushing the injured rescuer from the room while the remaining members quickly made their way back to the two men still on the floor.

A second woman dropped to her knees beside them, her inquisitive gaze piercing Carson's. "Dr. Beckett, Carson," she said, cautiously reaching out to take his pulse at the side of his neck, deliberately avoiding his wounded hands, "my name is Dr. Biro."

His own gaze beginning to slip, he tried to focus on her as she spoke but found it increasingly difficult. The burning had returned with a vengeance and the ache behind his eyes that now reached the back of his skull could no longer be ignored.

"Carson, look at me," Biro called to him. Blinking her back into focus, he watched her face contort with emotion until she settled on an encouraging smile. "Ronon will be fine. He was wounded coming through the gate but you should be able to see him again in a few hours. He was able to tell me a little about your condition though, before they took him to the infirmary."

This time there was no stopping his heavy lids as he listened to her, and shutting out all the strange faces and bright lights helped ease his headache minutely. But the lady doctor was persistent and continued to call his name until he relented and cracked one eye to glance up at her.

"I know it's hard Carson, but I need you to stay awake a little longer and answer some questions for me. Blink once for 'yes' if you can. Are you in any pain?"

He swallowed slowly, trying to force moisture to his dry throat. The burning now spread through to his fingertips and he ached to flex his palms. Realizing that she was still waiting, he closed his eye before prying it back open. Hopefully she didn't have too many more questions because it took all he had to answer that even once.

She leaned in closer, her face now inches from his own. "Can you move your arms or legs?"

For the first time he stared directly into her eyes, trying to communicate what was wrong, and was taken aback to see sorrow and then compassion flood her expression.

"That's okay," she said soothingly, her hand reaching to stroke the whispy bangs off his forehead. She then glanced to those around her, "Bring the back board in closer. Dr. Weir can you hand me that collar by your knee?" A strange object appeared in his peripheral vision and he lazily watched her take it, then hold it in front of his face. "Carson, we need to move you to the infirmary, but before we can do that, I need to make sure that we don't hurt you any more than you already are. I'm going to start with a neck brace, okay?"

More unfamiliar faces peered closer into his limited visual range and he began to gasp for air, his heart rate picking up again as images of others pressing against him surfaced darkly like haunting specters.

Dr. Biro noticed his reaction immediately and called for the others to stand back and give them some room. "Carson, it's okay. Right now it's just you, me, and Major Lorne."

He'd forgotten about the major still holding him on the floor. Using his final taps of energy, he glanced to the concerned face above him and met the man's gaze before he gave in to the urge of darkness pulling him to oblivion. He never heard the odd walk-clump sound of another individual hurrying to the gateroom, or the startled disbelieving gasp of the man recognizing his missing friend now lying helplessly on the floor.

Part 9

"Dr. McKay, you shouldn't be out of bed," Biro scolded lightly over her shoulder while supervising the backboard straps, her attention entirely centered on her newest patient.

"I heard… they said…" the scientist tried to say, watching in a shocked stupor while Carson was lifted via the board to the waiting gurney. "Is he, is he paralyzed?" he sputtered, clumsily making his way to follow the team with his cane thumping loudly on every other step.

Elizabeth stepped up to his side, taking him by the free arm and offering support. "Ronon was able to tell us that Carson never moved." Watching Rodney's horrified expression, she hesitated before telling him the rest. "He can't seem to speak, either."

"Oh my god, what did they do to him?" he demanded, stumbling slightly and would have almost fallen if it hadn't been for her hand under his arm.

Taking a hard look at her chief scientist, she recognized the deep lines of worry etched across his face, the pain in his slumped shoulders due to strained back muscles from carrying Teyla while running to the gate, and the sleepless hours of sitting at Sheppard's bedside, worrying about what his friend's had gone through. His own leg injury from evading the second squad forgotten, he was being eaten by guilt at having left the pair behind in the first place.

"Rodney," she said, steering him back to his rumpled bed in the infirmary, away from the curtain that now separated the new patients from the old, "it's the middle of the night, you need to rest."

He hobbled up onto the mattress, surprised to find Lorne on his opposite side giving him a boost. "Did Ronon say anything else?"

The major shook his head 'no'. "He sort of faded in and out, didn't want to leave Dr. Beckett, but I guess the blood loss finally wiped him out."

"Blood loss?" Panic set back in and Rodney almost made it off the bed before Elizabeth and the young officer grabbed him by an arm on either side, holding him in place. "Where is he? What happened to Ronon?"

Elizabeth pulled the blankets up, settling them across Rodney's chest, then resting her hand on his arm. "He was shot while carrying Carson through the gate."

The Canadian's blue eyes actually went wider as he stared at her in disbelief, before his entire demeanor shifted to one of irritation. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't picked 4092 this wouldn't have happened. They…" he paused, waving the hand he'd plucked free from Lorne towards the occupied beds, "they wouldn't be here. He, he…. Carson hates going through the gate. I told him he was being a big baby." His hand went to his head, shoving short hairs to stand up straight in his increasing agitation.

"Rodney, you need to calm down. Getting upset isn't going to help anyone and you'll only make yourself sick," Elizabeth said firmly. Watching a nurse advance in their direction, she recognized the small white paper cup that held medication and a glass of water.

"Dr. McKay," the petite figure spoke with a smile, stepping up to his bedside near Dr. Weir, "Dr. Biro said it was time for your pain medication." She patiently waited while he tipped the cup back and then drank the water. Taking the glass and putting it on a side table, she then lowered the bed to a more comfortable level for sleeping. "Just relax and give it time to take effect."

"I don't want…" he started but she merely patted his arm and then lifted his wrist to take his pulse. Next she took a regular thermometer and tucked it under his tongue before he could protest. She continued different ministrations until his eyes began to dip suspiciously.

"I need to check on Sheppard," he mumbled sleepily.

"When you wake up," she replied quietly, flicking off the light above his bed. After waiting a minute more, she turned to the head of Atlantis and sighed, "He'll be out for the rest of the night. I suggest you also get some rest, Dr. Weir. There's really nothing more for you to do here."

Elizabeth glanced around the dimly lit portion of the infirmary, her firm countenance beginning to show the immense strain that she'd been under for the past few days. "I'll stay a little longer," she eventually said after a brief check on each of her people. The empty chair nestled between McKay and Sheppard's bed beckoned to her and she dropped in the seat, her face coming to rest in her hands.

"Ma'am?" Lorne's quiet query broke through her thoughts and she found him standing patiently in front of her. "Major?"

He nodded to the closed off portion of the room. "Appears it's going to be another long night. Can I get you anything? Coffee?"

They'd been through this routine the night before while waiting for the physician to report on Colonel Sheppard. But then there had only been Teyla and Rodney on this side, the other two still unaccounted for. Grateful to have all her people back, she took a deep breath then blew it out slowly. "Coffee would be good."

Part 10

The day on Atlantis was half over before one of the five stirred restlessly, bringing Elizabeth to her feet to stand at his bedside. Cool damp cloth in her hand, she pressed it to his heated brow. "Shhh, John," she soothed, feeling the fever radiate through the fabric beneath her fingertips.

He didn't appear to hear her, his head tipping to the side to get away from her touch. "Cars'n," he whispered painfully, never fully coming awake.

"He's here. He's safe," she whispered but his agitation only grew worse, his bandaged arms pushing against her.

"Took 'im." The harsh cry caught the attention of Lorne who had been dozing lightly in another chair beside Teyla. Looking to Weir, he recognized her glance as she nodded to the doctor's office in the rear. A moment later he was gone in search of help.

Elizabeth soaked the rag once more then placed it back on his heated forehead. "He's safe. Carson's here, Ronon brought him back," she continued to say over and over, wiping away the sweat that worked its way into his hairline. "He's sleeping, John." But no matter what she said, he remained trapped in his nightmare, tossing his head to the other side.

"Hang on," his plaintive cry was filled with anguish. "Cars'n, help's on the way."

Lorne and a different nurse quickly appeared along with dark physician that Sheppard could never remember. Taking a liberty that he would never dream of in any other circumstance, the major placed his hand on his superior's shoulder and steered her out of the way. They stood silently side-by-side as the medical team worked before them, eventually relaxing in the slightest when Sheppard stopped fighting due to the medication added to one of his IVs.

The doctor did a brief exam, checking several bandages while the nurse rattled off various numbers. Satisfied with what he'd found, he finally looked up to meet Elizabeth's worried gaze.

"How are they…all of them?" she asked quietly.

He frowned, his lips pressed into a tight line as he glanced over the room. "Perhaps we should speak in the office," he said quietly and held out his arm to direct her towards the back.

She paused only a moment, looking to Lorne, "You will stay out here?"

"Yes, ma'am."

With a nod, she walked past, her hand touching the foot of each bed as she passed, before disappearing inside Carson's small office.

oOo

On the other side of the room, pale blue eyes blinked sleepily several times before coming to focus on the ceiling above him. He'd heard the voice again telling him to 'hold on'. Certain that it sounded close, Carson waited to hear more before drifting back to sleep.

Tbc…