CHAPTER 25 THE RETURN

John was at her side in seconds, dropping down beside her and ripping open her shirt to check her wound. There was blood everywhere and he yelled up to the front of the jumper.

"Doc... need you here. Steph's been hit, she's bleeding bad."

Carson's voice was sharp. "I can't attend her and fly the bloody jumper lad, you need to take over for me and let me look at her. Ok?"

John looked helplessly at Rodney, unable to leave her until Carson arrived, but knowing that Carson would not leave the controls until he arrived.

"Go Sheppard. I've got it." Rodney dropped down beside her and rummaged around in his vest for a pressure bandage, wanting to do something to help until Carson got there. He didn't have to wait long. Carson was moving quickly and pushing Rodney's hands out of the way, checking the position of the wound and snapping his fingers for Rodney to grab his medical bag. The weapons fire had hit her at waist level and while it didn't apear that any major organs had been hit, the wound was bleeding quite badly and Carson needed to get the bleeding stopped as soon as possible.

"Doc... damn it! Tell me how she is!" John was looking over his shoulder while attempting to concentrate on getting the ship back to Atlantis. He had made the decision not to take the ship back to the planet – they needed to get her proper medical treatment in a hospital situation and while Carson could likely patch her up enough on board, he had seen enough battle wounds to know that this one needed attention.

"Lost a bit of blood lad, but nothing major has taken a hit. I just need to get her stabilised and some fluids into her. How long until we get back to Atlantis?"

"About a half hour Doc... we good until then?"

"We'll have to be lad. Just get us there safely... that's all we can ask." He turned his attention back to his patient. "Come on Stephanie lass, I'd like to see you open those lovely eyes now. I prefer that you be conscious, love."

He grasped her chin firmly in his hand and Teyla moved up onto the other side of her and took her hand, looking expectantly at the doctor.

"May I be of assistance Dr Beckett?"

"Just hold her like that Teyla, so she know's that we're here. I would like her conscious so that I have do a pain assessment and give her something. I can't while she's not conscious."

Stephanie groaned a little then and Carson could see that she was trying to open her eyes. Green pain filled eyes looked back at him now and he smiled at her in reassurance.

"Doc?" Her words were a little slurred and she tried to shake her head as though to clear it and groaned again as the action caused pain to erupt all over her body.

"What... happened.?"

"Lie still lass... you took a hit from a wraith gun and you've got yourself a nice little hole in your side."

She tried to move and looking down at her side she flicked her eyes up quickly to Carson. "Where's John? Is he .. ok?"

Ronan was standing over her now grinning. "He's all good, Stephanie. And flying the ship..."

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again to find him still looking down at her. "Every one else... ok?"

"We're all good Stephanie. You're the only one that managed to take a hit.. even Rodney who generally gets shot in the butt... no wounds this time."

"Hey, that's not..." Rodney began but he shut up quickly when Ronon just glared at him.

"Ok lass.. let's get some pain relief into you now that you're conscious."

Her eyes closed as Carson gave her an injection and when she woke again an hour later, she was in the infirmary and a smiling John was looking down at her while she tried to counter the effects of the painkiller.

"Sleeping beauty awakes.. and you've now joined the ranks of the initiated." At her puzzled face he smiled a little wider. "You've been shot... taken wraith fire...a select few bear those scars."

She smiled weakly. "I'm honoured.. but I need to know.. what happened on the planet? We didn't go back?"

"No... but I'm just about to. Was just waiting for you to wake up so that I could see for myself that you were ok. Ronon and I are taking a team back there now... there are already two jumpers with teams on the ground and there is no sign of the first wraith dart. It means some hard search time, but we need to find whatever it was they were hiding there.. it'll be the only link we have."

He reached down a hand and ran it gently down her cheek. "You rest and we'll be back before you know it. Ok?"

She smiled and then he was gone and she felt a sudden sense of unease, one that she couldn't put her finger on. She didn't want him going back to that planet, had the uncomfortable feeling that something very wrong was happening there, right now.

"Carson?"

"What is it lass?" Concerned he was at her bedside in a moment.

"Please... I need to go... with him. Something's not right. Please... I need to be there, to help with … something..."

Carson placed his hands on her shoulders and held her back down firmly, thinking ahead to the syringe full of sedative he had waiting nearby, having already worked out that he was likely to need it.

"No you don't Stephanie. You need to lie back in this bed and heal and let the Colonel do his job. And he can't do that if he has to worry about you. He'll do what needs to be done.. don't you worry about him."

She struggled a little and Carson turned to get the injection that was on the table nearby and she was faster than he had anticipated. She pushed herself out of the bed and made herself run, trying not to wince in pain at the sore ankle and her bandaged side, and told herself that it was simply adrenalin that was allowing her to put one foot in front of the other in such a manner.

Carson's shout behind her had her moving and unsure how she even got there, she was suddenly in the jumper bay, a somewhat terrifying parody in hospital pyjamas, long hair wild and a little tangled and as white as the sheets she had just been lying on.

"Jesus, Steph. What the hell are you doing?" John had been about to step into the jumper and Ronon's shout had him looking in her direction, and immediately dropping back to grab her, his eyes quickly going to the entrance where an angry Carson was just entering.

"Colonel.. I suggest you keep a firm grip on her so that I can get this particular shot into her. Now."

Her eyes looking wildly at John and she grabbed onto his shirt, pulling tightly. "Please, John. You need to let me come with you.. there's something on that planet. Something that I need to do... I can feel it as much as I can feel that you are not meant to go there without me. Please don't ask me how I know... I just do."

"Be that as it may... you cannot come with us, not in the condition you are in. I will not even consider it. You need to get back into that hospital bed and let Carson help you get better."

Teyla was looking at Stephanie strangely. Her glance flickered from Stephanie and back to John.

"What if she speaks the truth Colonel... I know that you felt yourself that she had a strong connection with the mineral on the planet. It is true that perhaps she is the one who can control it in a particular form... I know that she is injured, but perhaps her presence is... necessary."

"Jesus Teyla... listen to yourself. I won't have her along on this mission, not for any half baked reason. Carson... take her and sedate her if necessary. You have my permission."

Stephanie pushed passed John and into the jumper, not caring that Carson's hands reached out to her or that John had a face like thunder on him.

"Damn it Stephanie... enough. Now. "

Teyla followed her into the jumper and in an attempt to shield her from both the men, she gently eased her down into one of the seats, then turned to face them, blocking Stephanie with her body.

"Colonel.. I will be responsible for her. I give you my word. I agree with Stephanie... she needs to come with us, to be there. She does appear to have some sort of connection with the mineral and we will need her to find it. To help locate it."

"A tracking device?" John's voice was hard.

"For all intents and purposes... yes, Colonel. She unwittingly helps create the tracking devices by activating the mineral somehow, and we can use this same ability to track in reverse. To enable us to find where they are storing it and where it is being refined down to the particular format that is being shipped to earth. Now... we don't have time to waste. The longer we sit around here arguing about whether she should be coming or not, the longer it is before we can get Stephanie back here for some proper rest. Colonel?"

His shoulders sagged slightly in defeat. He did not want to agree, but knew that Teyla was right, and if it had been anyone else he would not have hesitated..

"Ok. I don't agree with you, not 100% - but I will take your advice on this one for now – but Teyla? I warn you... if she looks as though she is not going to make the journey without deteriorating, then I will bring her back here. Understood? And there will be no objections from anyone."

He hazel eyes bored into hers and she nodded once in respect. She knew that Stephanie would do her best to make sure that she did not drag them down, and Teyla would make sure she was right behind her.