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"That's it, I'm not waiting any longer." Carson stood up and stepped around behind Sheppard's back.
"What are you doing?" Ronon watched Carson intently.
"He needs to be warmed and he needs it now. We can't wait for help to get here." Carson knelt behind Sheppard and lifted his upper body out of the water. "Take one of your knives and cut the vest's binding straps under the splint so you can take it off without jarring that arm any." Carson stared at Ronon for a second longer. "Now, son," he insisted.
Ronon pulled a small knife from the vambrace that covered his left forearm, stepped over Sheppard and knelt. He quickly cut the vest's bindings, the sharp knife passing easily through the narrow webbing.
Sheppard moaned quietly and tried to speak, his voice thick and slurred. "D-dad-d…"
"Easy, lad," Carson whispered. He nodded at Ronon. "Pull it off him, carefully. Don't jar him too much."
Ronon complied. "What are we doing, Doc?" Ronon set the vest next to him and looked back at Carson.
"We're getting him out of some of these wet clothes. Carefully now, cut the coat sleeve just above the splint and down under his arm. Then pull the coat off in the same manner."
Ronon set to work on the coat. "Why? He's just going to lay in the cold water again."
"No, he's not. When we get his shirt off, I want you to hold him while I take off mine. Skin to skin contact may help stabilize his body temperature, at least around his vital organs. 'Tis not as good as medical treatment, but its all we have right now, and he can't wait any longer."
Ronon unzipped Sheppard's coat and carefully pulled it off him. He cut the shirt in a similar manner as the coat and before long, Sheppard's torso was bare.
"C-cold-d…" Sheppard muttered his eyes never opening.
"I know, John," Carson answered by habit, knowing full well Sheppard probably couldn't hear him. "Just hold on. We'll get ye warm." Carson looked back to Ronon. "Good. Hold him." He relinquished Sheppard's weight to Ronon and quickly shrugged out of his vest and coat. He threw the coat over Ronon's shoulder, being careful to keep it as dry as possible, before pulling his shirt over his head. Scooting closer to Sheppard, Carson nodded at Ronon. "Lean him back against me. Gently now." Carson grimaced as Ronon settled Sheppard against his chest.
"What is it?" Ronon asked, noting Carson's expression.
"He's really cold." Carson wrapped his arms around Sheppard, ignoring his own cold. "Put the coat around my shoulders and tuck it in where you can. Then tell Lorne to send his and Simm's coats down as well." Carson looked down as Sheppard moaned quietly. "Easy, son," he responded, "we'll get ye through this." Carson's brow furrowed as he tightened his grip on Sheppard. "What I wouldn't give for a warm IV and dry ground." He muttered. Before long, Carson looked up at Ronon who stood before him with two coats in his hands.
"Doc?"
Carson nodded. "Lay one over the Colonel's body and try to keep it out of the water. Put the other one on yourself."
"Doc, I have a coat…" Ronon protested.
"No arguments!" Carson interrupted. "Your coat is soaked. Get out of it and put that dry one on. I have one hypothermia patient! I don't need another." Carson stared hard at Ronon's defiant gaze.
After a moment, Ronon sighed and threw one coat over his shoulder. He then knelt and draped the other one over Sheppard and tucked it in where he could. Standing up straight, Ronon shrugged out of his duster and into the remaining coat.
In spite of the serious situation, Carson had to stifle a smile. The coat wouldn't close in front, looked like it was going to rip across the shoulders if Ronon even moved, and the sleeves only reached half way down the big man's arms.
Ronon glowered. "Not a word, Doc."
"Sorry," Carson managed. He worked his hand up under the coat and pressed his fingers into Sheppard's neck. "Still too bloody slow. We got to get him out of this water."
"What about you?" Ronon asked quietly.
Carson stifled a shiver. "I'll be fine, as long as we don't have to stay here too long." He looked up, his eyes catching on Ronon's expression.
Respect filled Ronon's face, and his eyes crinkled as his mouth turned up in a small smile.
-----------------------------------------
"Off-world activation!"
The technician's call snapped Elizabeth from her brooding. She quickly exited her office and walked swiftly to the control room.
"Reading Lieutenant Coffey's IDC," the technician confirmed.
"Lower the shield," Elizabeth ordered. She bypassed the control deck and headed for the gate room stairs. Stopping on the mid level landing, Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock as Coffey staggered backwards through the gate, still firing his P-90. "Raise the shield!" She shouted, watching as the gate room guards immediately trained their guns on the active Stargate. The shield sprang to life for a moment, before the gate shut down.
Elizabeth dashed down the remaining stairs and jogged across the gate room. "Lieutenant? What's going on?"
Coffey turned to face her. "Natives ma'am. We found Colonel Sheppard. Doc gave me a list of specific things he needs immediately, but when I got back to the gate, Michaels and Johnson, who were on gate duty, were dead. I had to fight my way back here."
"The others?" Elizabeth's gut knotted.
"Don't know, ma'am. They were okay when I left them, but the natives might have found them by now. Teyla and McKay are missing as well. Probably has something to do with the hostiles."
"Colonel Sheppard? How badly hurt is he?"
"Bad, ma'am. He's fallen about twenty-five feet into what looks like an abandoned well. Ronon too, but he doesn't seem to badly hurt. Natives be damned, we have to get back there now. We'll need a standing scaffolding, and break away stretcher to get the Colonel out plus the rigging and ropes for it."
Elizabeth turned away from him for a second, her mind racing. Natives? Teyla and Rodney missing? John…Elizabeth pulled in a deep, determined breath. Natives or no, her people needed help. She turned back and faced Coffey. "Lieutenant, with Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne off world and Captain Hauser on the inactive list, I need you to take charge of a team to go back and extract them. Gather as many men as you see fit and arm them with whatever you feel is necessary. Get the equipment you need for the rescue and be ready to go in fifteen minutes. Tell me exactly what Carson needs to treat Colonel Sheppard and I'll have Dr. Biro get the supplies together right away." Elizabeth nodded, concentrating as the lieutenant rattled off a list of supplies to her. She tapped the call button on her radio. "Dr. Biro, this is Dr. Weir."
"Yes, Dr. Weir?" Dr. Biro's voice responded.
"Dr, we have an emergency medical situation off-world involving hypothermia. I'm on my way to you now with a specific list of items Dr. Beckett needs."
"Understood." Biro answered, "There are certain standard items I know he'll want. I'll get started with those."
"Thank you, Dr. Weir out." She watched as Coffey turned away and started issuing orders in his radio, before quickly heading towards the infirmary.
-------------------------------------------
Teyla shifted her weight and pulled her jacket tighter around her body. The cold, clammy mud did nothing to help her stay warm, but at the moment it was the least of her concerns. Caged and helpless, Teyla fought frustration. Colonel Sheppard and Ronon needed her help, and yet she could not give it. She glanced at Dr. McKay who silently brooded. To escape, she had no doubt they would have to fight, yet Teyla knew Dr. McKay wasn't a warrior. With a gun, perhaps he could defend himself, but without? She sighed quietly. They would have to try, but only at the right time.
"You!"
Teyla was snapped from her thoughts by a rough voice. She looked up and stared confidently through the bars of the cage at a guard standing over her. "What?" she asked quietly.
"Taruk is handling a dispute. He will speak with both of you shortly."
"Taruk?" Teyla questioned.
"Our leader," the guard bent closer to the cage. "You are to know the manner in which you will die," his voice was low and dangerous.
Teyla stared back evenly, refusing to show any fear. She said nothing, but her bearing said everything. She watched as the guard's gaze narrowed slightly, a hint of approval showing in his expression. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Inhaling deeply, Teyla turned her attention to McKay.
"Great," Rodney's expression was far from calm. "We're so dead."
"Dr. McKay..." Teyla started.
"Teyla, they're going to kill us!" Rodney's voice broke over the last word.
"Dr... McKay," Teyla hardened her quiet voice, forcing him to listen. "When they take us from this cage, we must attempt to escape."
"Teyla..."
"Rodney," Teyla leaned forward. "We may not have another chance."
"I..." Rodney sighed, a rare moment of uncertainty overcoming him. "I've never been much into fighting, Teyla..." his voice trailed off.
Teyla allowed a small reassuring smile. "I know. I will not attempt anything until we are close to where our weapons are," she nodded her head to a spot not far away where their weapons and vests lay stacked on the ground. "When I attack you must break for the weapons. Take a P-90 and use it to defend yourself. I will not be far behind you."
"How do you know we'll be led anywhere close to where our guns are?" Rodney questioned his whisper emphatic.
"I have been watching Taruk. He frequently enters and leaves that tent," she gestured slightly. "I believe it is his. The path from here to there will take us directly past our weapons." She smiled slightly as something akin of respect briefly flashed over Rodney's expression. It was short lived.
"Yes, well," Rodney shrugged, "guess we have no choice."
Teyla's smile faded. "No. We do not." She looked up, watching as three men with crossbows came towards her. "They are coming." She gave him one, last reassuring look. "You will do fine, Rodney."
"Yeah, right." Rodney's voice sounded less than convinced.
Two of the three men stopped and pointed crossbows at her and McKay as the third one quickly unchained the cage and lifted the top.
"Out." The guard grunted.
Teyla slowly stood, briefly stretching as she tried to loosen up her stiff muscles. The guard grabbed her roughly by the arm, an action Teyla barely resisted retaliating against.
"I said out!" He forcibly pulled her from the cage, as another guard motioned his crossbow at McKay.
Teyla walked next to Rodney. She stared silently forward at the back of the guard in front of her, while her intuition tracked the two that followed behind. Her gaze subtly found the small pile of weapons and their equipment and she pulled in a quiet deep breath as the approached it.
Teyla glanced at Rodney, catching his eye as she arched her eyebrow slightly. Without warning, Teyla whirled around and delivered a crushing blow to the head of the guard behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rodney throw a surprisingly strong elbow into the guard behind him before he dove for the weapons. Taking advantage of Rodney's guard's distraction, Teyla punched him into unconsciousness. Before the third guard could react, she spun and drove a foot into his gut, before her roundhouse kick knocked him cold.
"Teyla!" Rodney, carrying both P-90's ran towards her. He stopped next to her and shoved one of the weapons into her hands.
She flipped off the safety and fired several rounds at the feet of a group of armed villagers who ran towards her. Teyla glanced over her shoulder and saw the path away from the village was clear, for the moment. "GO!" She shouted as she pushed Rodney towards the path. Never taking her eyes from the hostile villagers, Teyla fired another series of shots into the ground before them, hoping to slow their pursuit. Killing them was not her first choice, but Teyla realized, as her repeated volleys did nothing to slow them, that she might not have any other option.
Half running, half backing away from the villagers, and keeping herself between them and Rodney, Teyla gasped as a crossbow bolt grazed her upper arm. Tuning out the pain, Teyla's gut clenched as cold determination took over. Lifting her gun, she fired directly at two villagers, winging one in the arm and the other two in the leg.
It slowed the pursuit as the remaining villagers dove for cover. The cold reality of the situation hit her. She'd wounded them and by doing so, they would never believe that she or any of the others were anything other than what the villagers accused them of being. They had to escape now, for if they were recaptured, death would be swift. She turned and pushed on McKay's back. "Run Rodney! Now!" Constantly looking over her shoulder at the villagers, Teyla followed behind McKay, their path taking them towards the distant Stargate. In the last glimpse she caught of the villagers before the trees obscured her vision, she watched them emerge from hiding and take up the pursuit.