Chapter 26: Do you want to tell me the whole thing?

That was my last thought for some time. When I awoke I was still sitting in the Wraith Dart surrounded by silence. My headache was still intense and I felt almost as dizzy as I had before I'd lost consciousness. The temptation to just close my eyes and go back to sleep was intense. But I was nothing if not stubborn and I was determined to make it back to Atlantis.

The question was, how? I'd initially thought to just travel back to Atlantis from M6B 373 but I was pretty sure the Dart wouldn't fit in the Gateroom so that wasn't an option. I was also hesitant to make contact with Atlantis at that point because it just seemed that my escape from the Hive ship had been too easy. Lieutenant Ford had escaped from one too but he was a trained soldier hyped up on the Wraith enzyme. Because I was determined not to do anything to alert the Wraith that Atlantis still stood, that left me with very few options.

I was kind of drifting as I tried to think up some kind of out of the box solution when I noticed something coming towards me. As it got closer I realised it was a Puddle Jumper. Even though I couldn't see I was sure that John was piloting the Jumper – I felt better because he always had a clever idea for fixing things that needed fixing.

"Sabina?" John tapped into the Darts communication system somehow.

"John!" I slurred my words slightly as I grinned at his Puddle Jumper. I was so far out of it that I didn't even wonder how he'd known to come back to the planet for me.

"Are you fit to fly that Dart back to Atlantis?" John's voice was sharper than before.

"What?" I said distractedly, drifting for a moment. "John? You found me!"

"Sabina!" John's voice took on that command edge that always made me snap to attention. I shook my head which aggravated my intense headache but also seemed to bring the world back into focus.

"I'm injured a little but I should be able to make it," I said more clearly.

"Okay," John said in relief. "We're gonna fly through the gate to the planet Rodney and I found that stranded Wraith on – it's only 15 hours back to Atlantis from there.

"I don't think I can stay conscious for 15 hours," I admitted uneasily. "I'm really struggling with fatigue and flying this thing's giving me an excruciating headache."

"You won't have to," John promised. "The Daedalus is waiting for us there – they'll beam you straight to the infirmary and the Dart to the F302 bay."

"Okay," I agreed. "I'm ready."

I followed him back down to the planet and through the wormhole. The sight of the Daedalus hanging in space was a welcome relief – knowing I was finally safe I let go of my control and blacked out.

When I woke up I found my situation had finally improved – I was in the Atlantis infirmary.

"You're awake," John's voice came from behind me. I turned my head slowly and saw him occupying a chair beside my bed, palm unit in one hand like he'd been working while waiting for me to wake up.

"Looks like it," I replied lightly. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly 24 hours," John stood up and sat down on the bed beside me. "You've got a cracked rib and you lost a lot of blood from that cut on your thigh - ten stitches Carson said. Plus you're partially dehydrated and your systems a bit out of whack from the Wraith stun, and I suspect you've got the mother of all headaches."

"Oh," I didn't know what to say. "Was I gone long ... it only seemed like a day or so to me but they stunned me a couple of times so ...?"

"Three days," John said starkly. "The most frustrating three days of my life ... I didn't know where you were and we had no clues we could follow."

"I'm sorry," I said miserably. "It wasn't my fault ... I ran as fast as I could."

"Lorne said as much," John admitted. "When the rest of the team came through the gate without you they all reported the same thing ... that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Hey – story of my life!" I quipped, trying to ease the tension between us.

"Well you didn't have to go to such lengths to show me what it's like to be the one waiting around for news," John accused with as good of a smile as I was likely to get under the circumstances.

"When do I get out of here?" I was impatient to return to my usual routine as soon as possible.

"Carson wants to keep you another 24 hours and then you'll be able to recuperate in your quarters," John reached out a hand and turned my face up towards him. "You've got a pretty nice shiner there Scotty," he teased. "Not to mention a split lip."

"That bitch slapped me!" I said indignantly.

"Been there," John shook his head ruefully. "What'd you say to her?"

"Nothing much," I looked away guiltily. I didn't think John would be impressed that I'd deliberately tried to provoke the Queen.

"Sabina?" John said warningly.

"Oh all right," I muttered, turning back to look at him. "I just took a page from the John Sheppard book on Wraith interrogations. Apparently they liked that just a much coming from me as they did when it came from you."

"Do you want to tell me the whole thing?" John asked quietly.

"I do," I promised, "just ... can we do it when I'm out of here?"

"Sure," John agreed. I wanted to talk to him some more but I couldn't hold the yawn in – apparently being unconscious for hours didn't actually count as sleep because I was still really tired. "I'll let you get some sleep," John said, rising to stand beside my bed. He leaned down and kissed the uninjured side of my mouth gently, ruffling a hand through my hair. "I'm glad you're all right," John leant his forehead against mine for another moment before turning and leaving the room.

I had quite a few visitors the next day, including all the members of my team who kept apologising for not being the ones taken in the Wraith beam. Teyla, Ronan and Rodney also visited.

"I hear you've joined the stunner club," Rodney greeted me enthusiastically.

"I didn't know there was a club," I commented. "What are the perks?"

"Ah ...," Rodney stammered, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Thanks for the rescue," I said sincerely while he was still trying to think of something.

"Sheppard was the one who knew where to retrieve you – he also worked out how to get you and the Dart back here," Rodney pointed out.

"Yeah, and you were the one that gave me all that stuff on Wraith Darts," I said. "Not to mention getting the communications working between the Puddle Jumper and the Dart."

"You're ... ah ... you're welcome," Rodney acknowledged.

"We are very glad to see you back on Atlantis," Teyla said. "We were all very concerned when Major Lorne's team returned without you."

"Thanks Teyla," I said, smiling. I turned to look at Ronan, who'd been silent the whole time. "What about you?" I asked.

"I had no doubt you'd find a way to escape," Ronan stated, paying me the greatest compliment I could hope to get from him.

"Nice," I looked at him with the sheen of tears in my eyes.