Title: Sacrifice
Rating: G
Author: MacGateFan
Disclaimers: Not mine.
"You're welcome, sir. We'll be there in just a few minutes," Ford replied
"We can wait." Sheppard walked over to join McKay. "Thanks."
"Yeah, you too. You ok?"
"Other than this and a few cracked ribs. What about Gaul?"
"No," McKay said sadly as they walked towards the Puddle Jumper.
"We'll have to put the ship back together, provided you can disarm the shield."
"Fine. As long as we get to go home."
"You can drive."
"Oh, thank you!"
McKay looked up from his attempt to disarm the shield. The fact that body parts were strewn all over the sand made him want to throw up what little he had eaten since they arrived on this dustbowl of a planet.
"Sheppard!" he exclaimed, realizing that his friend had yet to talk to him since they arrived back at the Jumper and that scared him.
McKay saw him lying on the ground and rushed to his immediately. "Sheppard!" he said again. All the while wondering when the man had collapsed and why hadn't he noticed.
"McKay don't shout," Sheppard replied as he attempted to sit up.
"No! Don't move! Your back could be broken! You might have severed your spine!"
"Relax," Sheppard said, slowly moving to a seated position. "I'm sure I'd be able to tell if my spine was severed. Besides, I've already been walking."
McKay's eyes strayed to Sheppard's shoulder. He could see blood seeping through the dirtied bandage. He pulled out a new field dressing and began removing the old one just as Jumper Two came into view.
Sheppard watched McKay as he silently worked. He was a little surprised to see the red-rimmed eyes. "Rodney?"
"What?"
"What exactly happened to Gaul?" he asked, afraid of the answer.
McKay seemed to swallow around the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "Shot himself."
Sheppard almost had to strain to hear his friend's response. He could tell the man was blaming himself. "It's not your fault."
"Yes it is. I could have grabbed the gun away from him, I could have told him not to come out here with us! I could have..."
"McKay, if anyone is at fault, it was me," Sheppard told him. "I never should have left the two of you alone."
"You did what you had to do. We weren't going anywhere with that Wraith out here anyway."
Sheppard nodded, wincing as McKay pulled at his injury. He then realized that they shouldn't be blaming themselves, no, they should be honoring Gaul. The man had sacrificed himself so McKay would be able to help him.
"Sheppard!"
He blinked. Had he spaced out? Looking over to the right, he could see Ford and Teyla heading in their direction.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get off this damn planet."