Lunch

Rodney knew that something was wrong the moment the small pastry delicacy he had just eaten slipped down his food pipe and hit his stomach. His throat hurt so much in its wake it felt like he had just swallowed acid. The small ache in his centre rapidly spread and increased until it became burning agony sending its toxic fingers up into his chest and down to his groin. He clutched his middle and gasped.

John, Teyla and Ronon were still eating from their plates obliviously as they sat on the floor inside the large tent. The village elder looked at each of them in turn.

Rodney uttered, "Stop… eating…" He then coughed and gripped his belly more firmly. It did nothing to quell the pain, so he rolled over onto his side on the ground and hugged both arms around his midsection and rocked back and forth.

Teyla placed her hand on his back. "What is wrong?" Her face was pinched with worry and the others had ceased their offworld lunching to crowd around the scientist.

"Poison!" Rodney cried and drew his knees up.

John turned to the village elder who was still eyeing them with great interest. "What did you do to him?"

The man took on a superior, righteous tone, "Men of learning are of no use to us here. They advance us too quickly and bring the Wraith. Any form of intelligence must be destroyed before it takes hold."

"That's ridiculous. You've created a planet full of idiots? Ugh!" Rodney whispered harshly and then flinched as the pain in his stomach stole his breath for a moment.

Ronon had his blaster drawn and aimed at the elder, who had guards of his own with spears and swords.

The elder waved his hand down at Rodney and said calmly, "He is too far gone to be quashed. The only solution is death, and he must suffer greatly for his transgression and defiance."

Rodney shuddered and gritted his teeth, but he was in too much pain to speak. John held his shoulder and Teyla rubbed a circle on his back, but his body remained tense.

John said hotly, "We're not from this world! If we'd known about this custom of yours, we wouldn't have come or we could've left him behind!"

Rodney suddenly twitched and groaned. He hissed, "Sick…"

With John and Teyla's help, he stood. His limbs were heavy with lethargy and his eyelids drooped in weariness as he bent double and kept his arms clamped down on his midsection.

They all shuffled outside and no-one followed them. The natives probably assumed that Rodney was already dead anyway. It would just take a while.

Rodney fell to his knees beside a small container holding some food supplies and violently jolted and cried out a moment before he retched and vomited for all he was worth into the food basket.

John smiled savagely at Rodney's choice of receptacle.

Rodney felt a lot better after his sickness, but he was still painfully ill. Together, the rest of his team helped him stagger back to the gate. When they were through, the Lantean medical team helped to stabilise him and continued purging the terrible poison which had had its deadly hold over him.