Payment for the Pain
Chapter 7
Sheppard clawed his way back to consciousness for the second time in as many days. Like de'ja vu he felt all the pain start to shrink back to familiar parts of his body and some new parts too. His eyes fluttered open and he lay looking up at the sheer walls of the trench into the blue skies above as fluffy clouds passed along trying to figure things out.
As his memories came filtering back, anger and frustration, and maybe a little humiliation followed them. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"
"Shut up"
He lifted his head slightly to glance towards the growl and found Ronon squatting against the wall, his head in his hands.
For god's sake, who the hell builds an eight foot trench at the edge of a wood! he growled to himself. As he threw an arm up towards the peaceful skies and the offending ditch he said out loud, "This is supposed to be a nice, simple trek across the countryside and I feel like I've done five rounds with a Wraith."
"Sheppard," Ronon growled.
He remembered Ronon's previous injuries and figured the fall had not done him any favours. Adding to that a little guilt that he had put them both here, he figured he should shut up now. He glanced at his watch. "Great, three hours to go," he muttered to himself. He let his head fall back and just lay there watching the clouds go by, not enough energy to move for a moment. He figured five minutes wouldn't make much difference and he just wanted to do nothing for those five minutes, he figured at least then he wouldn't get hurt for at least five minutes."
Suddenly a face appeared in his vision, silhouetted by the light of the day behind him, and if he hadn't already recognised who it was the voice would have given it away. "Well, if it isn't Colonel Cinderella. Waiting for your Princess Charming, Colonel? Don't you think it's a little egotistical to just lie around expecting her to come find you?""
Even silhouetted he could see the beaming smile on Rodney's face and knew without a doubt that his expressive eyes were flooded in relief. He couldn't help beaming back, knowing by his tone that both him and Teyla were safe.
He followed it with a heavy sigh. Rescued by Rodney, last time this had happened Rodney had stolen his dessert for a week in recompense. He frowned, trying to figure out the unnatural shape that seemed to dangle from him. "Is that… is that my boot?"
"Call me buttons or prince charming just once and I'm going home and leaving you here and I'm leaving your boot too. Have you heard of Odour Eaters, Colonel?" Rodney barked down at him, pointing a finger viciously. As he did so his balance seemed to falter and as Sheppard's eyes had adjusted to the dim light he was able to see Rodney's eyes go wide in panic as his arms started to flail and his feet start to slip. Oh god, he's gonna land on me!
He made the smallest of movements starting to curl in a defensive position when Rodney just stopped. He noticed a hand had reached over and was gripping onto Rodney's tac vest, pulling him back in to safety. I could have done with one of them helping hands, he thought to himself. Telay's face came into view, her hair falling about her face as she looked down into the trench. "Hello, John."
"Hello, Teyla."
"Hello, Ronon."
"Hello, Teyla." Oh yeah, don't tell her to shut up do you – coward.
She cocked her head to one side, looking over his prone body. "Are you hurt, John?"
Rodney's face shot into view, face frowning.
"I'm fine," he said, without a thought, the response automatic. Rodney's face disappeared just as quick with an unbelievable huff. Sheppard continued regardless. "Maybe you know why someone decided to build an eight foot trench here and how we are supposed to get out of it?" He raised a querying eyebrow.
The disembodied voice of Rodney McKay floated down to him. "I think you will find, Colonel, that the eight foot trench is in fact plans for irrigation for this field, which is obviously intended for crops in the near future. It is not finished. If you walk about a mile in that direction then we should be able to create a slope that you can clamber up if there is not already one there." Rodney's face came hesitantly over the edge of the trench looking down at him with a furrowed brow, "are you sure you're okay?"
Before Sheppard could point out that he could not see which direction from the bottom of the trench and could Rodney please point again, but this time in view, he was interrupted.
"Everyone shut up." Ronon growled.
Rodney looked taken aback and Sheppard could see one of his rants about to be released on an unreceptive Ronon. "He hit his head a few times, quiet would be good."
"Hhmmpfff," was Rodney's response which in view of the fact it was Rodney was pretty amazing. Sheppard made a mental note to check Rodney's head for injuries when he got out of the trench.
He waved Ronon over without a word. He was down here in the trench with the big guy so he wasn't about to antagonise him anytime soon. He held up his hand, pushing one leg underneath him as he had done in the cave. Ronon got with the program and helped him up.
He looked up to see both faces watching them with worried expressions clearly visible. "Which way?" he asked quietly. They pointed to their right and Ronon and Sheppard started walking. He could hear Teyla and Rodney accompanying them on the surface. He actually found a lot of his frustration had disappeared with their arrival and whole lot of comfort and relief had replaced it at their presence.
Eventually, with Ronons help, they reached the end of the trench and sure enough there was a rickety wooden ladder. Obviously, who ever was digging this stupid trench, sorry perfectly sane irrigation ditch, need a way out too. Ronon clambered out. John started to climb using the age old method of rabbit hops from rung to rung as he only had one working foot. He was expecting the ladder to give way any minute and end up on the floor again. As he neared the top, Ronon reached down and grabbed his wrists, pulling him easily to the surface. He sat on the edge of the trench for a while just getting his breath.
He waved for help and strong hands hooked under each arm as Ronon and Rodney grabbed an arm each and pulled him up to standing and away from the edge of the trench. He noticed Rodney stand back and look him up and down a few times. "You look like shit, Sheppard."
"Yes, well, thank you, Rodney. Need I remind you that I wouldn't actually be trying to stand here if you hadn't told them we would do anything to look at their nice sparkly ancient tech and volunteering us into the bargain," Sheppard regretted the words as soon as he saw Teyla cringe and Rodney's demeanour change. His shoulders slumped, his head hung sharply to the ground but not before Sheppard saw the guilt in his face.
"I'm sorry, Colonel," Rodney looked back up, eyes intense and focused and guilt ridden. "I put you in danger and I'm sorry for that, I truly am. Do what you see fit." He hung his head again. He noticed Teyla's face behind Rodney and made a mental note to have a talk with her later. Obviously, something had happened while he had been out for a stroll.
"Do what I…? For goodness sake, Rodney," he said exasperated. He put a hand on his shoulder, brow furrowed as he spoke to Rodney. "I know what you're like around ancient tech, we all do, and we all know why. One day you will find something amazing that will save us all and all this? All this will be worth it."
He smiled as Rodney raised his face, eyes searching his for any sign of a lie. Rodney's tense features relaxed a bit and his embarrassment flashed across his face. "Yes, well, just remember that next time the natives try to prod me with sharp things."
"Oh I'm sure I will… after a while. How much prodding should we allow, Ronon? Ten minutes at least I'm thinking."
"He's incredibly loud, I'm thinking twenty five." Ronon replied, straight faced. Which was a problem because sometimes even John wasn't sure Ronon knew they were joking. Then he broke out in a feral grin at Rodney's explosive huff.
"So, which way is the finish line?" he asked as he looked at his watch, "and any chance we can cross it in two hours?"
TBC
