Chapter 21: Awakening

Rodney stirred and the first thing he felt was an over-riding sense of irritation, How dare they sedate him! He was by far the most qualified person on Atlantis to find his missing team! This sensation was quickly replaced by a slight feeling of nausea.

Opening his eyes, fully intending to yell at the first person he saw, Rodney immediately squinted and frowned as a shadow obscured the bright lights of the infirmary. As his vision cleared the shape in front of him solidified into the face of Ronon.

Ronon grinned in his typical manner before sitting back in his chair, forcing Rodney to turn his head in order to keep him in his line of sight.

"Oh thank goodness it was just a nightmare" Rodney breathed in relief, noting that Ronon didn't have even a scratch on him. What he didn't know was that during his exam a nurse had bought Ronon some fresh clothes to change into, taking away the bloody and ripped clothing he had been wearing.

"That depends. Did it have a man-eating whale or us disappearing?" Ronon asked, he was much more talkative than usual of so it seemed to Rodney who frequently got the silent treatment from the big man.

He was about to come back with a smart retort when he realised there was no way Ronon could have known what his nightmare was unless it had actually happened.

Snapping his head to the other side of the bed he felt another wave of nausea break over him. He saw Teyla and then, noting she too was unharmed, continued to look round.

"Where's Sheppard" he demanded as he finished surveying the entire room.

The slightly amused expression Teyla had adopted at Ronon's comment instantly vanished. "Both he and Major Lorne are currently in surgery." She replied softly.

"Lorne?" Rodney asked, bemused "Lorne wasn't on the planet with us…was he?"

"No, Major Lorne and his team facilitated our escape, we met with heavy resistance."

"Oh…" Rodney trailed off before remembering something else "and Jennifer, where's she? Is she alright?"

"Yes she is fine; I believe she is currently aiding the surgical team."

"Oh…" again Rodney trailed off; this time the team lapsed into silence, waiting for news.

After some time a nurse came bustling in and, in a no-nonsense manner, began to check Rodney's vitals. It was clear from her attitude that the medical team had sent in a battle hardened veteran to deal with the irritable McKay.

"Everything seems fine" the nurse pronounced several minutes later as she finished the last of her checks. "A doctor will come by later just to check. Mr Dex, I'm to tell you that Doctor Albright is finished in surgery with Major Lorne and will be ready to give you that check-up in about ten minutes."

Ronon just nodded trying to conceal his irritation and only just succeeding.

As the nurse left what she had just said seemed to register with McKay, "Wait… check-up? What's wrong with you?" his surprised tone conveyed more worry than his words would ever achieve.

"Nothing, that's the problem." Ronon told him.

"As usual Conan's riveting and intellectual explanations have massive gaps." Rodney exclaimed, turning to Teyla, the look in his eyes pleading with her to provide more information. It was possibly one of the few times the pair had seen him at his most vulnerable.

"Ronon was shot," Teyla explained, taking pity on the confused McKay, "however, as you can see he is no longer harmed, this is mostly thanks to Colonel Sheppard… I believe."

Rodney looked between the two and it was obvious that all the possibilities were running through his brain, trying to determine the most likely scenario. "But… how?" was all he managed to say.

"Gotta go." Ronon said jumping to his feet, he wasn't sure what was worse, having to sit through a long, and likely often repeated, explanation of his immanent and then not so immanent demise yet again or the battery of tests he was sure to be put through.

At the same time Teyla replied "it is a long story."

Teyla and McKay both looked at Ronon who merely shrugged before turning and leaving the curtained off section, leaving Teyla to what he considered a daunting task.

A/N: My profuse apologies for not updating sooner, i have been distracted by the whims of the grandparents and other family members :) Here's two chapters to make up for the delay and theres a possible third for today or tomorrow, depends when i get the chance to finish it...

Meggaly pissed that Sci Fi is cancelling Stargate Atlantis, one of the worst decisions they have made to date!! Not going to watch universe as it sounds too much like farscape, enterprise and battlestar galactica to name a few, only one of which i liked even vaguely... any way the ramblings of and annoyed fan sorry.