Chapter Fourteen: Return to P47-X89
While this had been going on the missing Major had followed the archaeologist and Athosian to the infirmary. No one could see him for he wasn't visible to any of the Atlantis personnel. Evan had been disturbed that his team had walked through him several times back on the planet and he had managed to keep up with his team, and gotten a ride back on the Jumper to Atlantis. He'd been proud of Astra for flying the Jumper knowing her fear of heights and of flying in general. Evan was furious with Lt. Van Ingen for yelling at Astra. She'd flown them back safely, though it has been a bumpy ride.
'I need to give her some flying lessons,' Evan thought, as he entered the infirmary.
He saw a distraught looking Astra sitting on the bed as one of Carson's staff attend her and Mahendra. She was crying and her shoulders were slumped. Evan walked over to her.
"Astra this isn't your fault. Please don't believe Van Ingen. You're a valuable member of my team and an SGC veteran," Evan told her. He sighed with frustration when the archaeologist wouldn't answer him.
"I'm not dead, no I can't be," he muttered. He jumped a little when a nurse walked through him. "That's just weird," he mumbled.
Evan knocked over some instruments that were next to Mahendra. They clattered to the floor with a loud bang. The nurse turned around and glanced at Mahendra. She glared at him, picking up the instruments.
"It wasn't me!" Mahendra denied.
"Humpf," was the nurse's reply and she kept walking. The nurse had red hair.
Carson was working on Wood and it was just the two civilians alone together.
"How to get their attention?" Evan mused. 'I know Astra believes in spirits and all that even though she's an archaeologist."
Carson stepped over to Mahendra and Astra. "Captain Wood is going to be fine. I cannot see any life threatening damage or disease," he reported.
"What of the weapon that shot him?" Astra queried sniffling.
"It was rays of some kind, merely to stun their victim and not kill them. Captain Wood will be awake in the next couple of hours, though he could be in some pain."
Astra nodded. Carson handed her a tissue. "We'll find Major Lorne,
Sweet Lassie," Carson said gently, squeezing her hand.
"It's my fault this happened and I shouldn't be on the team. I'll put in a resignation for the team," she said quietly, playing with her tissue.
"Nae! Dinna resign! Don't believe a word Lt. Van Ingen has said. You are the expert on Ancient languages in the Pegasus Galaxy. You came here to find out about your mother's people. You have more right to be here then anyone else," Carson told her.
"No! Evan would still be here if it weren't for me. I always screw things up."
"Your file isn't as big as Sheppard's or McKay's," Carson said.
Astra laughed a little. "That's true," she agreed.
"Don't resign please, As," Evan begged. "Not now we are working thing out between us!"
Astra shivered. "Are you alright, Astra?" Mahendra questioned concerned.
"I thought I felt a breeze or cold snap."
Mahendra and Carson exchanged worried glances.
"It must be your imagination," Mahendra said softly.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir walked in and strolled over to Mahendra and Astra.
"Colonel Sheppard is getting several teams together along with his own team, and are going back to your planet. Once Carson has medically cleared you, Colonel Sheppard has requested your assistance on this mission. Yes, Mahendra you can go," Elizabeth told them.
"Colonel Sheppard still wants me to go even though I screwed up?"
"No one is blaming you," Elizabeth began.
"Except Lt. Van Ingen," Astra muttered darkly.
"You've been apart of the Stargate Program far longer than Lt. Van Ingen. He's new, you've had much more experience then what he has. You need to go back out there and find your Major, Astra," Elizabeth told the archaeologist.
Elizabeth had been of the aware couple while she'd been at the SGC. She'd always thought they made a cute couple.
'After I get back from the mission I'm resigning from the team,' Astra thought.
"Your Major?" Carson repeated puzzled, unaware that Astra was dating someone.
Mahendra sat their quietly in silent support for Astra. Evan sighed in frustration again when a nurse walked through him again. Evan was still dressed in his full gear with his P90 attached to his TAC vest.
Evan was still trying to figure out who best to contact to let them know he was alive, and spied another tray near Carson. The Major knocked it off the bench. The pilot chuckled when Carson jumped with fright. The pilot smiled amused.
Astra and Mahendra turned to look at Carson, so did Elizabeth. Mahendra and Astra exchanged glances.
"It wasn't me!" Carson told them.
"Of course it wasn't," Elizabeth said amused, picking up the tray. "We know how busy you've been down here, Carson."
"I swear to ya' it wasn't me!" The Scotsman denied.
After Astra and Mahendra were cleared they went back to the Jumper Bay where John and his team were waiting with teams three and four. Wyatt was there with a couple of other Marines he knew. When Wyatt saw Astra he gave her a guilty look and wandered over to her. Mahendra stepped between them.
"Dr. Owen I'm sorry for the harsh words I said earlier. I don't blame you if you don't forgive me, just wanted to apologise," Wyatt said softly. The Marine then went back to join his friends.
"Huh," was all Astra could say, unsure to trust herself.
"We'll find him," Teyla assured her.
"So this box you found there?" Dr. Rodney McKay question her.
"What about it? Apart from that I'd like to blow it up," Astra grumbled.
Evan looked at her and could see she was serious. He was trying to avoid people walking through him again. The Major tried to gain Teyla's attention by gently pulling her hair. The Athosian leader absently batted at her hair.
"What do I have to do to get people's attention!" Evan ranted. Evan tried Teyla a few more times and gave up.
He was going to try someone else when everyone got into a jumper. Evan followed Astra into team Sheppard's Jumper.
"You have a go, Colonel Sheppard. Bring our Major home," Elizabeth granted.
"I already am home but not all here," Evan muttered. Evan sat next to Mahendra. Teyla sat on Astra's right and Mahendra on her left.
"You can't blow up the box!" Rodney cried indigently. "We don't even know what the box is or what it does."
"It makes people invisible," Evan snarked.
"Shut up, McKay," Ronon grumbled. The large Satedan nodded at Astra, as McKay made his way up to sit beside John.
"Jumper away," John told Elizabeth.
They went through the 'Gate and came out on the planet.
"How far is this temple?" John inquired.
"A few hours straight ahead. It's hidden amongst a jungle," Astra told him. She noted Wyatt was on one of the other Jumpers, to her relief.
"You flew all that way?" John questioned impressed.
"Yes," the archaeologist replied.
"I'm a good teacher," John said smugly.
"Oh will you stop being Kirk for once?" Rodney complained.
"I wasn't!" John defended himself.
"Sure you weren't," Rodney said sarcastically.
"I can't help it by how people feel about me," John protested.
"We will find, Major Lorne," Teyla assure Astra. The archaeologist nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Teyla squeezed her hand gently, as her friend.
The chatter around the archaeologist was light and Astra played with the hem of her shirt, not really engaging in any chatter. They came to the jungle and John parked his Jumper. Evan reached for Teyla's gun, which was resting on her lap. He pulled it, allowing it to fall too the ground. Evan was determined to gain Teyla's attention.
"How clumsy of me," Teyla muttered surprised, bending down and picking up her weapon.
Everyone stared stunned at her shocked. Teyla was a trained warrior not prone to dropping weapons so clumsily. Everyone waited for orders. The Major sighed and scratched his head.
"I hope there aren't any angry natives with bows and arrows," Rodney complained.
"You'd frightened them off by your whinging," Ronon growled at him, pulling out his gun.
They filed out and Astra had her 9m ready. She walked with John showing him where the temple was. Mahendra wasn't far away from her. Teyla watched slightly amused.
"McKay you wearing sunscreen?" John asked, sniffing the air.
"You can get skin cancer being exposed to the sun without it!" The astrophysics' replied.
"We are in a jungle," Astra commented.
"I have fair skin, any amount of sun can prove deadly. See how fair it is?"
"Yes, very," Teyla drawled.
"No one cares about your skin, McKay! Major Lorne is missing and you are worried about your own arse!" Astra snarled, turning around and glaring at McKay.
"Yes I'm worried about my arse! I don't want arrows sticking out of it! It's my skin I'm more concerned about, but both are equally important."
"Go suck a lemon, McKay," Astra growled, stalking.
"Smart and oh so sexy. Pity you are into the softer sciences," Rodney said.
"Shut it, McKay," Ronon warned.
"What did I say?"
"I said shut up!" Ronon warned.
"You know what, make me!"
Ronon leaned forward threateningly with his arms folded across his chest. Rodney hurried to catch up with John. The two other teams were behind theirs and had parked their Jumpers near the Colonel's.