How to Save a Life

by The Watch Stander

AN: Sorry for the delay Fran refused to go away and Ike was scary.

I also was busy doing a website! Plan on putting some stories there that I don't post here as well as some that I do.

Thank you to all those who reviewed, added this and others to their favorite and story alert list. It makes it all worthwhile.

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Chapter 11 - Unforseen Consequences

Turi was standing there watching when Ailee returned and handed Carson the bandages and a wet cloth to clean his patient's bloody face.

Beckett continued to check Rodney for further injuries. Finding more bruising on his injured side where Jerin had kicked him, made the doctor even more angry than before and he turned to face Turi.

"Your father is a right bastard and a bully! I've a mind to go and beat some sense into that nasty bugger!"

Turi tried not to be offended, but he knew in his heart Carson was correct having been the recipient of his father's drunken rage many a time since his mother's death.

"My father was a great man once, the leader of our village, but since the disease came he has become a broken man, hiding away and drinking. Others here blame him for the disease that has befallen our village, saying that he should never have traded with the strangers. If you can help us then he once again will be able to hold his head high."

Turi watched as different emotions crossed Beckett's face, but the doctor soon turned away from him and finished re-wrapping Rodney's side. After finishing off the bandaging he turned to Ailee.

Carson smiled at the young girl and handed her the wet cloth. After speaking to her softly he stood and grabbed hold of Turi's arm dragging him to the door.

"You and I are going to have a nice little chat outside, where you can tell me all about what's going on here." Carson spoke softly, but his voice told Turi that 'No' wasn't an option.

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What felt like a cool cloth swiped across the side of his face followed by the soft touch of light fingers. Rodney couldn't quite understand where he was or who was tending to him this way. His first guess was Teyla or maybe Elizabeth, for a nurse would never be this familiar with a patient and certainly not him. The same touch rested on his cheek as the cloth gently wiped his swollen split lip. He groaned slightly as he tried to bring himself out of the stupor that surrounded his brain. Every inch of him ached and parts of his face that were cut, throbbed adding to his misery. A hundred midgets with hammers were beating on him.

Gentle fingers lightly brushed away hair from his sweaty forehead and it was the touch of a small hand.

Teyla! It had to be. He felt like crying in relief, Atlantis, they must have found me!

All of what had happened was coming back to him, the crash, injured, the skaars attacking, almost drowning, being kidnaped, the beating and . . . Carson!

Oh, God where was Carson? If they'd beaten him up, then what had they done to Beckett?

"Carson," he tried to say as he opened his eyes, but his mouth was too dry.

A cold glass of water magically appeared before him and someone held it to his lips while supporting the back of his head. He slurped it down quickly wanting to be able to talk and find out about Carson's fate. Even though his body ached, he forced his eyes t o focus and look at his savior.

To his surprise, it wasn't Teyla or Elizabeth, but a young girl. His eyes swept the room finding it to be the same hovel from before. He wasn't back on Atlantis. He panicked as realization sank in.

"Oh, God! Why am I still here?..." he groaned as his head flopped back against the pillow, just trying to talk and breathe was an all out effort.

Ailee alarmed by his breathless outburst asked, "Are you in pain? Should I get the healer?"

Rodney looked at her sitting there holding a wet cloth that just minutes ago felt so cool and welcome against his skin.

"Give me a minute... just need to wake up...didn't mean to be so abrupt with you," he gasped, "I know you're trying to help me."

Now there was a change that he would never expect from himself . . . saying nice things to a child.

"I just need to know what's happened? ... Where's Carson?" He finally asked, wanting to know to be sure his friend wasn't in trouble.

She smiled at him, amazed by the blueness of his eyes, just like Carson's. So pretty to look at, she wished her people had them as well.

"Carson said to tell you he'd be back in a few minutes. He's just outside the door talking to my brother. They didn't want to awaken you."

She wet the cloth and laid it gently across his forehead.

Rodney closed his eyes and took a shallow breath, but even that hurt and made his insides ache. He would have to wait for Carson if he wanted painkillers. His mind seemed to close out the pain and he drifted back to sleep.

Ailee sat back and continued to watch him, surprised at how different he was from Carson. This man wasn't as nice as Carson, but he didn't seem to be a bad person, certainly not someone who deserved to be beaten by her father's men. She didn't want to see him hurt again, there had to be some way she could help him and Carson . . .

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Carson stood just outside the building, looking at the young man before him who had been telling him about the strangers that had come to their village and somehow brought a disease with them as well.

It sounded unreal, why would they make both themselves and the villagers ill. This made no sense to him

"So yer telling me that these people came and traded with you, brought you seed for your fields and gave you weapons as well as helping you plant the crops?"

"Yes, we traded with them in good faith and they seemed happy with the exchange." Turi replied wearily, he was tired of all of the secrecy and just wanted it to end.

"And what might that be that you traded to them?" Carson asked.

"I cannot say. My father has made everyone swear not to reveal it. He fears others like yourselves might try to steal it from us."

Carson looked at him in disbelief, "What kind of promise is that? I need to help your people cure this, so I must have all the facts, laddie, or it won't work!"

"I'm sorry, I can't say and don't ask Ailee either for she won't tell you. We've all given our most solemn word and if anyone breaks it they will die! My father's orders and you know they will be obeyed."

"Aye, sounds like something he'd do. He rules by fear and that is never a good trait for a leader."

"He is both my father and the leader of the village. I must keep my oath to him no matter what!"

Turi was adamant and Carson knew he'd never get him to change his mind.

"We'd better awaken Rodney then, as I'll need his help," he turned away and headed back to the house.

Turi looked disturbed, but decided to follow Beckett, he had no other choice.

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Sheppard wasn't a happy man, not having any of the addresses pan out was becoming more and more frustrating. It was more than 48 hours now and there still were no leads as to where the two men had gone. The only option was to continue searching each and every planet that had an address in the Stargate buffer and that was taking too long. If either of them were in trouble, it might already be too late to help them.

John pounded his hand against the jumper wall as he waited for the rear hatch to open. This was his third unsuccessful search of the day and he was exhausted. He practically stumbled down the ramp into the jumper bay.

Ronon came out behind him, followed by Teyla. Both of them felt the same and sympathized with Sheppard. McKay was their teammate and more. He was a member of their family. No matter how many times John would argue or fight with Rodney, it was obvious to both Teyla and Ronon that a deeper friendship lie beneath their snarking. Others wouldn't understand, but their teammates did. John and Rodney were like two brothers, love and hate all rolled into one. John would do anything for any one of them, but Rodney would always come first no matter what John said or how he denied even caring about the scientist. Teyla knew this and Ronon did as well. They both watched out for the scientist, knowing how valuable he was to Atlantis and how Rodney would risk it all if it meant saving one of his team. They truly wanted both him and Carson back safe and sound.

The team left the jumper bay and headed for the mess. All of them needed some food and a break before getting another set of addresses to check.

John sighed, It was going to be another long day . . .

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Rodney felt something shaking him and for a moment he was back in the woods being attacked by the skaars. Startled awake, his eyes shot open with his heart pounding in his chest.

"No!" He shouted as his eyes opened wider and he tried to sit up to defend himself.

"Easy lad!" a familiar voice, beside him said, as gentle hands carefully held him down.

Rodney gasped from the pain that shot daggers through his insides, created by the sudden move to try and sit up.

"Awww, God . . . " was the only thing he could get out, before Carson was looking down at him in concern.

"Rodney, take it easy! It's all right, no one's going to hurt you."

"Carson, what . . . " Rodney wheezed, unable to breathe properly. He grabbed hold of Carson's arm, trying to be sure he wasn't dreaming and clung to it while trying to get his breathing under control.

Beckett smiled at him and gently patted his hand, "Take it easy, I just need your help to calibrate my scanner and yours to allow me to check something."

The scientist looked around him and seeing where he was nodded, still desperately gasping for air.

Carson reached down and helped prop the man up with a few more pillows behind his head. This actually made it easier for Rodney to breathe.

"Thanks," he managed to say as Carson then went over to where their packs were and retrieved the two scanners.

He came back and handed them over to the scientist whose face was pale and sweaty, with lines of pain around his eyes and mouth.

The doctor explained what he needed the scanners for and Rodney adjusted both settings to what would be required. It took him several minutes before he handed both back to Beckett who put them in his backpack.

"That should do it then, I'll be giving ye a shot of morphine to help with the pain."

Carson smiled over at Ailee who was sitting on the other bed watching, "Ailee here, will sit with you while Turi and I check this out."

Over on the other bed, the little girl's face lit up with delight knowing that Carson was entrusting her with his friend's care.

Rodney looked up at Carson, "You'll be careful?"

Carson smiled again, "Of course. You take it easy and don't go getting into any more fist fights!"

The corners of Rodney's mouth turned down as he remembered the beating all too well, "Right."

After giving McKay the shot, Carson covered him with another blanket and tucked it in around him. McKay gave Carson an annoyed look, but it was half hearted as the morphine was beginning to take effect.

"Nighty, night," Carson said with a slight smile as Rodney's eyelids drooped then closed.

A whispered, "Thanks, mom," was all Rodney could manage before dropping off to sleep.

Carson chuckled softly at the reference. Rodney and Colonel Sheppard always referred to him as a mother hen.

He picked up his backpack, looked over at Turi and then headed for the door with the younger man following him.

It was time to discover what was really going on around here.

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