Chapter 13: Into The Void

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Outside Ronan derived little pleasure, from putting the restraints on an unconscious Michael, extra tight. He had been stopped from finishing it. His Satedan gun, set to kill was pointed right at the wraith's head and he was just starting to squeeze the trigger. Ronan scowled but it was not as dark as the one he gave when the stun blast dropped Michael from behind. It had come from John and he wasted no time to look over Ronan's weapon.

"I figured you'd forget to set it to stun."

Ronan took a small comfort in the possibilities involving hauling Michael to a cell. That is if along the way he regained consciousness and tried anything, Ronan might be able to finish him off after all. In the meantime he waited as Teyla checked Sergeant Cole's pulse. But it was no use, the man was dead.

The others arrived shortly to take care of the body. Some assisted Ronan with transporting Michael to a holding cell. John and Teyla went to check on Gwen.

As they headed to Gwen's quarters Teyla whispered, "Sergeant Cole must have been the first to guess Michael might try to visit her first."

"Yeah, unfortunately for him we were second," John agreed tersely as the doors to Gwen's quarters opened. His stomach was in knots, ever since he received word of Michael's escape. With no sign of him heading for the jumper bay or gate room, it didn't take them long to figure it out. That it wasn't where exactly Michael was heading to but to whom.

Opening the door to her quarters they saw her immediately. Utterly still, lying on her side, her eyes closed with a small pool of blood hallowed around her head.

John kept walking towards her even though he dreaded more bad news. Teyla rushed ahead and wasted no time to find out. Reaching her, she bent to a knee and felt the side of Gwen's neck.

"She's alive! It is slow but steady," Teyla reported and began to carefully look for the source of the blood loss. "It seems as if she took a blow to the head."

The news of a pulse had him letting out a breath. Kneeling down also, he opened a channel on his head set. "Get a medical team to Dr. Reyes quarters now!"

"John look," Teyla pointed to the woman's unworn boots at her bare feet and then to the edge of a desk by the door.

Distracted by the blood on it, John jumped when Gwen grabbed his arm. But he kept his voice even and smiled in relief. "Hey, you're awake."

"Wha-whappened?" Gwen struggled to get out, "M-michael?"

Bending close Teyla reassured, "Do not worry. Dr. Reyes a medical team will be arriving shortly."

"You're safe now," John too tried to help but added, "He can't hurt you anymore."

The pain, their worry and the anger in John's eyes at himself had hers filling with more tears. She raised a hand to her throbbing head and when she pulled back at the wetness she saw the blood. Fragments of what happened were coming back to her, the primal love making and the tender moments that followed. After a hard swallow and staring at her shaking bloody hand she managed, "H-he didn't... He w-wouldn't. Michael!" Gwen cried out and tried to get to her feet, she didn't see the confused look Teyla wore. Or the skeptical one John gave in return.

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The first thing Michael registered besides the pain was he was laying on something hard. Confused and still groggy it took him awhile to piece together what had happened. When he tried to move pin pricks throughout his body attacked in waves. It made him moan in discomfort and to spare himself of more of it he tried to hold still. It seemed to help but his head still throbbed. Carefully he opened his eyes and was grateful the light was dim and green. Briefly he pondered the reason for the color as he slowly rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling.

It was starting to come back to him slowly: the running, finding and questioning Gwen. He licked his lips and tasted her. He sucked in another breath and trembled remembering the sounds of hers. The gasps and moans, the sultry tone of her order for him to move harder. He trembled, as the feeling of being surrounded by her and the burning in that wetness washed over him again. The last thing he remembered was being with her.

Why am I now on the floor? he asked himself, lifted his head and looked slowly about for Gwen. Spotting the metal plank horizontal bars and through them a closed door had him shivering. He got his answer. He was alone and this place held something unpleasantly familiar.

Laying his head back down his gaze drew to his outstretched arm. Fingers tingling he flicked and noticed something dried and dark was on them. Wincing he pulled his hand closer to his face.

With the smell of rusty iron it all came rushing back. He had just left Gwen's and after the hall turned he had spotted one of his guards. He told the marine to drop his weapon. But the man had turned, he was going to shoot. Michael without even hesitating fired off four quick rounds, dropping him instantly. At first the action surprised and horrified him but as the man lay dying something strange had taken over. He could smell the blood and flashes of memory were starting to come back.

He closed his eyes in shame. Fragments of what Gwen said once tormented him now. "You just smell things... Certain scents can trigger memories."

He now shuddered in a confusing self-loathing at how he remembered kneeling next to the man and touching one of the bullet wounds. The feel of the warm fluid upon his fingertips had felt familiar and almost comforting. And it was the smell of human blood which removed all doubts of who he truly was. The hunger and the burning sensation which always came with it never lied.

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Chapter End Notes:
"I figured you'd forget to set it to stun." said by John is a quote from the Episode Michael.