"Dr Walters" said Sheppard giving her a shake.
"5 minutes yes sir" more shots at varying distances rang out, Sheppard, Ronon, Verman and Anderson were now also moving away from Carly; she felt more vulnerable now.
"The captain is down!" someone cried, from her position treating a marine behind a truck that was on fire, Carly saw several more marines hit the deck, she knew they were dead, the sand turned blood red"
The shots didn't get less, they increased in loudness as well as the speed, Lorne, Kendal and Matthews now also slowly crept into the trees following the shots. Carly tried to focus on the task at hand, her patient; getting a better look at the Lieutenant's leg, she saw the wound and the bone protruding through the skin. Giving orders to the core men they start handing her various impliments to clean and protect the bone and wound.
"Right Lieutenant I need to bandage that leg to stop the bleeding, you definitely have a broken leg I'm afraid" The Lieutenant nodded at what Carly was saying "I am sorry I can't stop it hurting completely" as gently as she could Carly started bandaging the leg between the Lieutenant trying his best to keep the screams of pain from escaping him.
There was a rustling in the trees, all the soldiers where now out of her sight; Carly could feel cold sweat on her neck, her hairs were standing on end and her eyes started to dart left and right.
The was rustling very close by, a wraith appeared from between two trees right in front of Carly; without hesitation and on pure training she instinctively picked up the Lieutenant's P90 and opened fire.
Lorne and Kendal hadn't gone too far from the medics; Sheppard's orders were to cover them. Hearing the shots so close and behind him, Lorne and Kendal turned and ran back to Carly, reaching her first Lorne emptied his clip into the wraith that was now on his knees; Sheppard and Ronon joined him moments later. Lorne reloaded his weapon whilst looking at Carly who was breathing heavily, arms shaking with the P90 still in hand, he moved up behind her.
"Doc well done" said Lorne quickly but calmly, he placed his hand on top of the gun Carly looked at him his face was calm, as where his blue eyes. She let go of the gun and Lorne reloaded it with a magazine from Winter's that he had gotten from his vest and gave it back to her "just in case we need it for the return trip" he patted her shoulder all Carly could was nod.
At the Lieutenant's signal one of the marines flicked a switch to blow up a block of C4, the wraith at the door stopped, some of them moved to investigate the noise. As they went into the woods, they blew another block, the remaining wraith hissed and more went; this now left two at the door.
"Much easier" smirked the Lieutenant; the group slowly crept forwards and at the last let bullets rain on the enemy. From inside the outpost, Nelson heard the gun fire, not wraith, 'must be back up' he thought
"McKay, get the door open!" he yelled.
"Trying!" McKay shouted back, Nelson was at the door, he heard knocking.
"Scrap that, get back!" Nelson ran towards McKay and tackled him to push him away from the door.
An explosion occurred moments later leaving a hole in the door, McKay's ears where ringing and Nelson was a little shaken by the force of the explosion.
"Sgt, Doc!" called the Marine Lieutenant "Let's move!" Nelson grabbed McKay and pulled the scientist to his feet.
"Are you both ok?" asked Teyla as they came through the door.
"A bit more warning next time!" grumbled McKay.
"Sorry for trying to save your arse" the Lieutenant knew it was McKay's way, he was grateful just had a funny way of showing it "Sheppard and SGA 2 are with Winters, we need to get back to the gate"
"Sheppard is here?" McKay wasn't surprised "And he sent you lot!"
"Rodney" Teyla scolded "Dr Walters is with them" McKay was about to protest more but then he remembered what Carson had told him 'she can't go off world', he knew his friend wouldn't be happy when he found out.
"Talk later, now move!" ordered the Lieutenant.
"Are we good to go?" demanded Sheppard as Ronon checked the wraith was dead.
"Yes sir" replied a core man quickly helping the Lieutenant slide onto the stretcher, the marine units and remains of SGA 2 and 7 that had gone into the woodland started to come back, Carly was struggling to control her shaking.
"Let's get going then, take up formation, we will meet Teyla and everyone else at the gate" ordered Sheppard "good shooting captain" complimented Sheppard as he moved past Carly to take up point.
The core men carried the Lieutenant, Carly was just behind P90 in hand and Kendal behind her, Lorne was just ahead of the stretcher. She could see them constantly looking around she couldn't help but do so as well, suddenly two of the Marines ahead of Lorne opened fire, they, along with Sheppard and Ronon moved off the track to allow Lorne and the medical team through.
"We will hold them off, get to the gate Major" shouted Sheppard; no acknowledgment was needed as Lorne carried on up the path. Sheppard noticed Carly had stopped.
'ma'am keep moving' order the Lieutenant, he grabbed her combat vest and pulled her up from where she had slid whilst running, it wasn't easy to keep a fast pace in sand. A shot went right over her head, the next was just as close, she felt the grip on her vest disappear and the sound of the Lieutenant collapsing in the sand'
"Hey captain!" said Sheppard standing in front of her one hand on her shoulder "You need to keep moving"
"Keep moving, yes sir" she mumbled in reply, Kendal tapped her back; Carly took a breath raised the P90 and walked quickly to catch up with the stretcher. Not having time to think about Carly's mental state Sheppard proceeded to turned his attention to the approaching wraith.
As Lorne came up on the gate some of the marines that had been left where shooting into the trees; he saw Teyla, Nelson, McKay and the marine unit sent to the outpost, they were waiting providing additional cover fire to the incoming teams.
"Anderson dial it up let Atlantis know what to expect" Lorne shouted over his shoulder, the Sgt scrambled to the DHD and started punching in the address. The Core men put the stretcher down by the DHD to await the order to go through, the gate whooshed as usual and Anderson was on the radio giving an update and sending the IDC. Lorne signalled the core men to go through, Carly was about to follow when shots went across her path, she fell backwards to avoid being shot.
Sheppard, Ronon and the third marine unit made it up the hill to the DHD as the core men disappeared through. Ronon sent a volley into the woods from where the shots had come from, running forward Sheppard picked up Carly.
"Sir, take the doc, my team have your six!" shouted Lorne, not wanting to argue about him being the last one to go through, Sheppard grabbed Carly's vest and headed to the gate closely followed by the Marines he had been with.
On Atlantis the core men had put the Lieutenant on a gurney Carson, who himself had only returned moments before from off world, attending to him; Weir stood in the control room watching the teams come through. The second group of Marines came through quickly along with Teyla; Lorne and Ronon a few moments later.
"Shield up!" hollered Lorne; the familiar noise of the shield activating came on but not before a few shots came through one right past Carly who was near the stairs leading to the control room. Her shaking was worse now, her breathing was rapid and she had sweat dripping from her. There was a lot going on Carson calling orders, Sheppard checking his soldiers where ok, it took them all a while to realise Carly hadn't moved.
"Doc?" said Sheppard as he approached her, Carson was about to leave when he turned to see which doctor Sheppard was talking to.
"Oh my..." was all the CMO could say before Carly raised the P90 and pointed it at Sheppard.
"Stay back!" yelled Carly, instantly raising his hands to show he wasn't a threat Sheppard stopped dead. The gate room was still full of marines and two and a half SGA units, and one marine doctor looking terrified.
"Ok doc, I won't come in closer" said Sheppard softly.
"Everyone back up!" shouted Carly as she moved in a circle looking around the gate room, all the personnel looked to Sheppard who nodded and they slowly backed up down the stairs to the doors. Weir had the control room staff move back as well; the med team minus Carson had left and the gate had disengaged.
Sheppard moved back to join Carson, the Colonel had never seen such a look on the Scotsman's face; Carson had a lot he wanted to say but they were now down the stairs with the gate on their right, now wasn't the time. Lorne was still in the area immediately in front of the gate, Carly didn't notice him until she finished her full, she stopped, P90 pointing right at him.
"Easy" murmured Lorne, unclipping his own P90, he knelt down and laid the gun next to him, Carly spoke something in Dari, Sheppard's mind clicked, he mouthed the phrase a few times
"Taliban" he whispered, Carson's head shot round to Sheppard "They use Dari to communicate" Sheppard looked up "Lorne, drop the 9mm and knife" he called gently, Lorne nodded and complied and slowly placed his 9mm and combat knife next to the P90. He could see Carly's eyes where wide, adrenaline and fear pumping through her.
"Major" began Carson "Carly has PTSD, she is having flash backs" Becket informed Lorne 'great' he thought 'now I understand the no combat part of the file' he was angry with his CO, Sheppard would have known why she couldn't go, why on earth did he let her come; putting those thoughts to one side, he needed to figure out how to disarm Carly safely.
Sheppard was angry at himself, this was his fault, his orders where clear and he disobeyed them, he had given Landry assurances that he would keep Carly from going off world. Everyone was back and alive but at what cost to Carly and his relationship with Carson and his XO?
"Doc" Lorne said calmly to her "I don't understand what you are saying" she answered in Dari, Lorne sighed, she wasn't making things easy, again Sheppard's voice was heard
"She wants you to move away from the weapons" called Lorne's CO; Lorne slowly moved forwards away from them, he had his hands up.
"What do you want me to do now Carly?" he hoped using her first name would bring her back 'god knows what she having a flash back about' he felt for her. He had met soldiers with PTSD, even seen some break down in the field, but he had never had to talk down someone having an actually flash back.
"Sit down with your hands on your head" Carly ordered in English this time, Lorne complied "Back up will be here soon" From Lorne's point of view back up was here, down the steps in front and behind him, he thought about what to say to her.
"We don't need the back up, we got back safely" said Lorne composed with a calm tone, he was always good a keeping a calm tone and air in stressful situations.
"Be quiet, Taliban scum, hands on your head. We are in the middle of a desert, I would see them coming!" Carly's voice was stern; Lorne interlocked his finger and put them behind his head as she repositioned the P90. Carson put his head on his arms, Sheppard sighed; both of them knew where Carly thought she was and it shook Sheppard more than Carson.
"We just came back from M4X- 299, a woodland planet" started Lorne "The wraith attacked us but the backup took them out"
"You're lying!" shouted Carly.
"We came back through the gate, that thing there" Lorne used his head to point to his right, keeping her gun trained on Lorne she looked to her left and gasped; she suddenly did another circle of the gate room.
"How did I end up here?" her voice was wavering and her arms began to shake, she stopped again facing Lorne "Major?" he could hear the fear in her voice.
"Carly, it's ok" he soothed as he lowered his hands from behind his head, Carly looked at Lorne, his blue eyes still had that sea of calm in them that she had seen on 299. "You are safe, we are back on Atlantis" he shuffled slowly closer, Carly sank to her knees "we all got back safely, the Lieutenant is in the infirmary" Carly dropped the P90 on the floor; Lorne quickly closed the final gap between them, he pushed the P90 away from them and pulled Carly into his chest as she began to sob loudly.