A/N: This is probably not going to get updated again for at least one week. Sorry, guys. I know you're loving it, but unfortunately, my term paper is whumping me harder than I'm whumping Carson, Rodney, and John combined at this point. I sooooo ready for a vacation. :(
Lo'Nan rushed outside, followed closely by Rodney and Carson. People were running about in various directions, preparing themselves for the onslaught from the enemy camp. But Lo'Nan stood virtually motionless, slowly moving his head from side to side, scanning the trees with determined eyes and exceptional hearing.
As seconds ticked past, Rodney could detect no movement or sounds whatsoever. But Carson's hearing also seemed to be immeasurably improved, as Rodney had already suspected, because he suddenly took off at full sprint toward one side of the camp and skidded to a halt behind a small cluster of gnarled shrubs. He raised his hands high in the air, calling out to someone that Rodney could not see.
"Please stop!" he shouted desperately. "Bloody hell, ye have tae stop this before ye all kill each other!"
But as Carson was pleading with the attackers about to make their move, Lo'Nan had been gathering up a few friends, and was organizing a perimeter of defense around the parts of the camp that they were most desperate to protect. As a few more of them came to stand proudly and defiantly at Lo'Nan's side, Rodney spied Colonel Sheppard on his feet, lurking in the doorway of the hut and leaning against the door's frame for support. He watched the growing crowd, noting with some trepidation that not one of them seemed too old or gray to fight, as most of them had appeared just the day before.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rodney protested, stepping close so John could hear over the murmuring of the crowd of defenders. "You're not about to try something stupid, are you?"
"I have to, Rodney," John said coldly, pushing himself away from the doorway unsteadily as he watched a well-muscled and clawed hand reach out for Carson from behind the shrubbery, pulling him out of sight. He began to step forward slowly at first, willing himself to move against the pain as he clenched his teeth tightly against it. "They're going to continue fighting unless I do something."
"If they're stupid enough not to listen to reason, then just let them— hey!" Rodney argued, but was interrupted as John pushed past him defiantly. Rodney could do nothing but stare back at him with disbelief. "They're going to kill you this time!"
John ignored him, and did not turn back. He didn't notice as Rodney doubled over in pain. He didn't see the labored breathing and clenched jaw as he collapsed to the ground, writhing with pain, and instead remained intent on heading for Lo'Nan, who was almost within his reach. John nearly stumbled before reaching him, but was determined not to let the situation continue without doing something about it.
"You can't let this continue, Lo'Nan," John pleaded breathlessly, firmly grabbing hold of his shoulder. "You told me that you were tired of it. Don't make the same mistake over and over again!"
"It is too late for that!" he snapped, shrugging John's hand off from his shoulder. "They are the ones attacking us!"
"And it's because you pissed them off with that raid last night!" John shouted angrily. "How many times have you raided them for the same, pointless reason?"
Lo'Nan turned and glared at him furiously. "What do you expect me to do, Sheppard? Simply allow them to ransack our camp?"
"No," John said, suddenly unsure of himself. He desperately grasped for more words, but could think of nothing else to say that might make Lo'Nan listen to reason.
A hushed silence fell over the defenders as they waited for the command of their leader to attack. But before it came, desperate voices began to filter through the trees, and as John listened carefully, he recognized one of them as belonging to Carson.
A feminine voice spoke first. Her voice was faint, but still audible. "If they hurt you, I will make them pay dearly."
"Just let me talk to 'em for ye!" Carson pleaded from out of sight. "It does'nae have to be like this!"
"I will have vengeance!" a lower, harsher voice roared in response. "How can you ask me to be lenient on them after what they've done to you and the rest of our camp?"
It was all Lo'Nan needed, though. He had homed in on the source of the voices long before John, and the front-most group of them was preparing to leap over the shrubs to attack. Without regard to his own safety, John stepped forward into their line of attack, placing himself close to the bushes in between them and their quarry.
"Stop!" he yelled fervently. "All of you, just stop! If you really want to fight, go ahead. But you'll have to go through me to do it."
Carson had managed to take a few steps back away from the other group, and was suddenly standing back to back with John when he spoke. "Aye, that goes for me, too."
All eyes were on them, and no one dared move a muscle for what seemed like a long time. Lo'Nan seemed to be thinking about Sheppard's ultimatum carefully, and looked like he was waiting to see what the raiders would do first. There was no question that he intended to confront them, should they decide to attack. John found himself hoping that Carson was a good judge of character and that his claim that the other camp had been kind to him had not been misguided, or else they could wind up being slashed to shreds in just a few seconds if the situation deteriorated much further.
A pained groan echoed from behind them, and they both whirled around to see that Rodney was lying on the ground and writhing in pain. John was stunned and confused, but Carson suspected that he knew what was happening.
"Rodney!" Carson shouted with alarm, and then began to move toward him, but was stopped by John's firm hand on his shoulder. "What do ye think you're doin'? Let me go, he needs me!"
The crowd had turned their attention away from their enemies to see what the newcomers were fretting about, and in that moment of distraction, John caught a glimpse of a huge creature leaping from the trees. It had obviously decided to press its advantage while it had the chance. Carson had also seen it, and his newly heightened instincts had instantly made it clear who the creature's target was. He reacted in an instant, and was only vaguely aware of the danger he was in as he moved quickly to put himself between the creature and Lo'Nan.
Propelling Lo'Nan out of harm's way, he looked up just in time to see the creature barreling through the air, claws drawn and ready to use, just before it landed on him. He felt himself being thrust against the ground hard and was momentarily too stunned to move. He was unsure of how long he had laid there as he slowly came back to his senses. With a cautious glance around, he saw that Tregan was still standing over him, staring down at him and snarling angrily with annoyance. Blood was streaming from his shoulder, but he felt no pain, only the hot wetness against his skin as it soaked into his shirt and dripped off his arm onto the ground.
The next thing he knew, Nia was next to him and was growling angrily at his attacker. Carson watched as Tregan warily and reluctantly backed off, and she reached down to cup his face in her hands, looking down into his eyes to determine his state of awareness. He had watched the interchange between them curiously, and was wondering once more why Tregan had suddenly decided to spare him when Nia had come to his aid. But as she helped him up into a sitting position, all concern for the matter dissipated when she then pulled him into her arms in a comforting embrace, and he felt himself gratefully returning the kind gesture.
Tregan was obviously not happy though, and Carson watched idly as he stormed away angrily into the depths of the forest. The crowd around them had been rendered speechless by Carson's display of bravery, including John, when he reached up with his good arm and clutched at her desperately.
"Please, Nia," he begged her solemnly. "Stop these senseless attacks. No good will ever come from all this if it continues."
Nia continued to stare down at him disbelievingly, not quite comprehending why he would willingly place himself in harm's way just to stop her from destroying the enemy. "Why, Carson? Why would you do this?"
"Because it needs tae stop!" he affirmed insistently, and then reached up to cautiously touch her face. "I don't want tae see you or them suffer any more."
"Lo'Nan," John said suddenly. "Tell her what you told me."
Lo'Nan straightened his posture adamantly, and for a moment, John was worried that he wouldn't be capable of admitting his frustration to his perceived enemy. But that fear was soon put to rest as Lo'Nan proved himself to be a true leader of his people. John understood all too well how difficult a responsibility it was.
"I'm tired of it," he whispered coldly to Nia, catching a glimpse of John's expectant glare. "If you will stop, I will stop."
Nia's gaze hardened and shifted slowly from Carson to Lo'Nan as she slowly rose to her feet, and she carefully considered his words for a long moment before a response came. "We have been fighting for many months now. It won't be easy."
"Nevertheless, I hate the Wraith more than I hate you and Noraan," Lo'Nan snarled angrily as he stepped closer, his words dripping with contempt. "And if halting our war means that we will all finally be able to escape this God-forsaken place, then so be it."
She seemed surprised by him, but no longer quite so angry. With a terse nod of agreement, everyone who had been waiting for the attack breathed a hesitant sigh of relief before beginning to mill about and make introductions. A few stubborn warriors lingered protectively near the huts containing stores of food, but no outright conflict had been instigated, much to John's relief. But the relief was short-lived as his adrenaline faded and a wave of dizziness nearly overtook him, causing his knees to buckle. If not for Lo'Nan's quick reflexes, he might have collapsed where he stood.
He was slowly lowered to the ground, and when Carson caught a glimpse of it, he anxiously rushed over to examine him, his own injury forgotten. Feeling John's neck to for a steady pulse, Carson nearly yanked his hand back with shock at the heat that radiated from him. A high fever was apparently the reason that John had felt faint.
"His wound is likely infected," Carson explained to Lo'Nan tentatively, who had remained on John's other side. "He has a fever."
"Well, he's not the only who isn't feeling very good at the moment," gasped a weak voice from behind him.
"Rodney!" Carson exclaimed guiltily as he jumped to his feet and moved toward him. "I plum near forgot about ye! What's wrong?"
"Pain," he responded simply, grunting with the effort it cost him to speak.
Carson hesitantly leaned down to look at Rodney's hands, and then sighed heavily as he saw the evidence that confirmed his fears over his friend's condition. Rodney's fingernails had already grown blackened, and the cuticles were becoming discolored. He was changing, exactly as Carson had begun to change himself just the day before. Carson's heart sank, and a concerned frown graced his features.
"Oh, no..." Rodney's voice cracked with tension. "Don't you dare give me that look! You know what's happening to me, don't you?"
"Aye, Rodney," he confirmed sullenly, his frown deepening even more. "I think I do."
Rodney's face contorted and twisted with not only pain, but fear now. "Am... am I going to die?"
"No," Carson sighed exasperatedly as he heavily took a seat at Rodney's side. "You're not goin' tae die."
"Well, what is it then? What's wrong with me?" he demanded insistently.
Carson held up his left hand in front of Rodney's face. "By about this time tomorrow, your hands are likely goin' tae look like mine."
Rodney buried his face in his arms, stifling a terrified whimper, and Carson had only sympathy for him. He knew that it would probably be more difficult for him to deal with since he knew exactly what was going to happen to him. But they were obviously both undergoing the change now, and there was nothing either of them could do about it.