The scene before him mirrored his own surreal experience hours ago. Sheppard had managed to secure Teyla's wrists, apologising profusely as he struggled with the bindings, and tied her against a well placed tree. Her legs were outstretched in front of her, heels digging into the dirt as she attempted to squirm out of the plastic ties.

"Let me go!" She cried out in a desperate plea.

Sheppard felt a pang of guilt as her voice cut through him.

Crouching beside her, he tried to decide his next step.

She was watching his every move, her eyes silently penetrating, her chest heaving with tired breaths.

"Don't look at me like that," Sheppard ordered in an even voice.

He settled for removing the magazine from her side arm and tossing the ammunition as far as he could. He hadn't seen her P90 in a while and wondered where they had been stashed away or forgotten. He'd have to retrieve them before they left this world. If they ever left this world.

"How's your head?"

He reached out with a steady hand and examined the cut on her cheek. It was angry and red but it didn't look too bad. It didn't stop him feeling guilt ridden.

Teyla reacted instantly and whipped her head away, "I'm fine."

"No headache? Blurred vision?...Nausea?" He waited for a response, "You'd tell me if you were hurt wouldn't you?"

Teyla's lips formed a straight thin line and when she finally spoke it made Sheppard's skin grow cold.

"Feeling guilty John?"

Sheppard rubbed at his sore arm where a nasty bruise was beginning to flourish and scanned the tree line.

"It was an accident," he turned back to her and met her dark eyes, "And you were trying to kill me."

Teyla kept her mouth closed. Her chin was jutting out in sheer defiance.

"And you know damn well I feel bad."

He waited for any kind of response that would prove to him that Teyla understood him. Instead, she continued to sit in silence.

Sheppard reached for her earpiece and fitted it snugly into his own ear.

"What are you doing?" Teyla was trying to get free again. She was nothing if persistent.

"I'm creating a distraction."

"What?"

Sheppard held a hand up to stall her words, stood up and coolly activated the earpiece.

--------------------------

"Ronon?"

Ronon stopped mid-pace, blocked out McKay's consistent rambling and zoned in on one recognizable voice.

"Sheppard?"

There was a noise in the background. Somebody was shouting and it sounded like….

"Where's Teyla?"

"She's fine, but you might want to come and untie her."

The response was instant and cocky and Ronon wanted to crush the confidence out of his voice.

"Will you be there?"

"I'll be waiting."

------------------------------

Ronon ran with renewed strength, pushing through the undergrowth and jumping fallen logs with expert accuracy. He had been running for a long time, lost in incoherent thought, when sooner than he expected, he arrived at the site of Teyla's capture.

She was sitting tied against a tree, hands bound behind her back and was completely still.

Ronon pulled out his weapon, clicked off the safety and gave the tree line a meticulous scan.

"Where is he?" Ronon shouted over the roar of his heart beating in his chest.

"He's gone," Teyla informed him dryly, "Now untie me."

Ronon skidded to a halt by her side, rested his gun on the floor and started to untie her. He was quick; cutting away the ropes and ties in one fluid motion before fitting the gun back into a snug embrace.

"Where did he go?"

"Where do you think?"
"Back to the lab?"

Teyla got her hands free and rubbed at her aching wrists.

Ronon noticed the welt on her cheek and the newly forming bruise, "What happened?"

"He hit me," Teyla informed him with an unexpected feeling of shame.

Ronon was confused.

"He hit you?"

"Yes."

"He wouldn't………" He stopped the words from spilling out of his mouth and felt like a traitor to himself.

"Well ……….he did," And even Teyla looked as though she knew that she was lying.

"We need to stop him. How long ago did he leave?"

Teyla shrugged.

"Are you okay to move?"

She nodded and struggled to her feet.

---------------------------

McKay was knee deep in wires when he felt the presence behind him. He didn't bother looking up, he didn't have time. He couldn't decide what was more annoying; the shadow that was blocking his light or the persistent hovering over his back.

"Well, it's about time you got back. I think I might have actually gotten somewhere with this heap of-"

A hand clamped down onto his shoulder and a cold fear swept through him.

"Now, Rodney, I don't want you to freak but-"

He couldn't help it. Some latent part of him was awash with panic. McKay stood up and pressed himself back against the console, one hand reaching for his weapon, the other swiping out with the knife he had been using to unsheathe wires.

Sheppard took an exaggerated step back and sighed, "I asked you not to freak out!"

McKay had to admit, Sheppard looked awful. He was covered in cuts and bruises; his hair was hanging limply, pressed against his forehead with a mixture of sweat and dirt. His t-shirt was disgustingly grimy and the hand that was holding the 9.mil, the 9mil pointed directly at him, was shaking. He knew his friend……..enemy, would be feeling all kinds of regret at that moment in time.

"What the hell are you doing?" McKay asked as he aimed his own weapon.

He realised that his hold was much steadier than Sheppard's and flicked off the safety in one easy motion.

"I need you to listen to reason………"

"Sheppard, you are insane. Stop pointing that gun at me!"

"Stop pointing that gun at me then!"

"I'm not going to do that."

"Quit being an idiot and put that away before you hurt yourself."

McKay fired a shot over Sheppard's shoulder that had him ducking out of the way.

"Rodney!"

"See, you didn't think I would do that did you."

"Fire a weapon in an enclosed space? Are you trying to get yourself shot?"

"No I have you for that!"

There was something vaguely familiar about the way they were verbally sparring.

"Hey, I apologised for that…look…….."

Sheppard lowered his aim slightly and took a step forwards.

"It pains me to admit this but………….. you are the smartest person on this planet right now, so I need you to use that big brain of yours and have a long think about what it is that you're doing here."

"I know exactly why I'm here."

"Think Rodney…..please."

McKay could feel a swell of emotion rising and he deliberately pushed it back down into his gut. The swell aggravated his stomach, made him feel sick, but he ploughed on regardless.

"Yes, well, I am a genius."

"Modest as always."

"But you're the crazy one and-"

Sheppard screwed up his face. It was an expression of anger that McKay had become used to. It was an expression that was dangerous.

"That's it," Sheppard said, "I'm tying you up!"

"Colonel!"

"Doctor!"

Sheppard let out a strangled laugh and scrubbed a hand through his tangled mess of hair. McKay recognised sincere concern in Sheppard's eyes, just before a flicker of something else.

Sheppard made eye contact, seemed to be making an internal decision, and then lunged forward before McKay could stop him.

His wrist was seized and the gun was pointed away. McKay's finger unintentionally depressed the trigger and a single shot flew off and ricocheted off the far wall with a loud ping. Sheppard twisted his arm back and started to drag him towards the door. McKay half expected him to grip him by his ear like an angry parent might do.

"If you're not going to listen to me then I'm going to make you!"

McKay tried to move away, but found his flagging energy levels made it impossible to do so. He was so hot and achy, that all he wanted to do was to complete his work and get to a bed. Sheppard was making that impossible.

"Get off!"

"No."

"Sheppard!"

"Sorry Rodney, but you've left me no choice."

"Get off me!" McKay called out and kicked Sheppard in the shin - hard.

Sheppard released his grip but didn't let go completely and muttered a curse as he hopped and shook out his leg.

"You kick like a girl!"

"Stop pulling my hair like one!"

"I'm not-"

McKay kicked out again and this time Sheppard let him go completely.

Mckay twisted out of his grip and stepped back behind one of the consoles.

"I'm not going with you."

"McKay, you might not see it, but you are sick. All of you are."

"And you?"

Sheppard put his hands on his hips and sighed as he looked down at the floor, "I'm not sick. Just broken," he admitted. "You're coming with me."

"No, I'm not."

"When we get home you're going to owe me big time. I mean it. I'm getting the red jello every lunch from now on."

"I'm not leaving here."

Sheppard stalked over to him, grabbed him by his jacket and forced him to the door. There was look of sheer determination in his eyes.

McKay reacted quicker than he would have imagined possible. He reached out for anything weighty and then struck Sheppard over the head.

McKay staggered backwards and felt terrible for no apparent reason while Sheppard fell to the floor. His knees took the brunt of his weight and he fell forwards and onto his hands.

As he was trying to clear his head and reorient himself, McKay managed to get away and slammed a fist into one of the consoles.

Before Sheppard could respond, the large door came down in front of them and he realised with a weary sigh that they were now trapped until McKay deemed to open the door.

"Why did you do that?" His voice was flat, deflated, utterly defeated.

"Because….." McKay twisted on his heel and reached for his date pad, "I have unfinished business in here."

In the lab. Yes. The lab. His thoughts crystallised again.

"I mean…why did you hit me over the head. Ow."

"Same answer."

McKay was holding a gun on him again and was un-clicking the safety.

"You're not going to shoot me."

"Probably not." McKay sighed, "Are you going to behave?"

"I'm not five."

"What I mean is, are you going to let me work?"

"Lorne is on his way with back up."

"And we're trapped in here."

"Good point. I'm just saying that you don't have long to do what it is that your trying to do."

"Just……stay out of my way and when this is over I'll think about letting you go."

Sheppard stood up, kicked the door and then leaned against it. Not so long ago he had been on the other side of it. He picked up his berretta and McKay caught him handling it.

"Look you're not going to shoot me so why don't you just let me get on with my work."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

But Sheppard re-holstered his weapon none the less.

McKay knew he was right.

"You'd never be able to forgive yourself."

"Are you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Rodney, over the last few hours I have been beaten up, knocked out, tied to a tree, fallen down a hill, beaten some more and assaulted with a damn branch, and all by my team. A team that usually likes me!"

"Stop whining," McKay shot back as he sat next to one of the consoles.

"What are you doing?"

McKay turned to see Sheppard leaning against the wall. There was a trickle of blood from a cut somewhere in his hairline and he felt a pang of something. Guilt?

"I'm working."

"On what?"

"If you don't shut up, I'll make you."

"Go on then."

"Don't tempt me."

"I wonder if I'll go crazy now."

"What are you going on about?"

"Well, last time you were locked in this room something happened that made you all sick."

Sheppard was sliding down to the floor and leaning against the wall heavily. He really didn't look all that great.

"I'm not sick."

McKay ignored the temptation to wipe at his own fevered brow and tried to occupy his mind with work.

"You look terrible."

"And you look positively glowing."

Sheppard laughed dozily and rubbed at his face. He leaned against his knees and the next thing McKay heard was a mumbled question through his knees.

"What are you doing?"

"If I tell you will you shut up?"

"Well, I guess. I mean…I heard that Ronon and Teyla were going to try and steal it anyway."

McKay stopped dead, "What? What did you hear?"

Sheppard shifted on the floor and looked up slowly, blinking sweat out of his eyes.

"Something about…… getting rid of you after they got it."

McKay dropped his handful of wires and scooted closer to Sheppard. He had to be lying. A game. Sheppard was trying to confuse him. So why did he believe him? Ingrained trust? He trusted Sheppard? Where had that come from? His head hurt. Nothing made sense.

"They said that?"

Sheppard shrugged, "Teyla mentioned it."

"I knew it!"

He believed Sheppard for some reason. It felt natural somehow. Expected that Sheppard wouldn't lie to him.

"You really can't trust anyone."

"No," McKay angrily stood up and started pacing.

Sheppard leaned back and rested his arms on his knees, "What the hell is it?"

McKay sighed. He could trust him right? Sheppard?

He shook his head and blinked hard. He couldn't think straight anymore.

"Hey Buddy, you okay?"

McKay sank to his knees and scrubbed a hand over his flushed face.

"If I tell you…will you shut up?"

TBC…………..