A/N: Thank you for the comments.
Bobbi - That particular mission will happen, but will be delayed due to what happens in this chapter.
"You wanted me?" Jennifer asked as she entered Woolsey's office.
"Yes. Dr Keller, please sit down."
"What's happened?" Jennifer asked.
"Teyla has just radioed in. There has been an accident."
"What kind and how bad?"
"They were investigating an ancient temple when there was some sort of tremor, causing a collapse. Colonel Sheppard is trapped somewhere under the rubble. Currently they can't get to him. Captain Dyche's team will be leading the rescue, Lieutenant Cadman will be going as well. But we will need a doctor."
"I'll go, I am the only option." Jennifer said.
"Are you sure that you will be able to-"
"I will treat the Colonel as any other patient. I am his best chance."
"Okay. The team leaves in ten." Woolsey said. "Fletcher is bringing your bags here."
-00-
"Where is he?" Jennifer asked as she and the others reached the temple.
"Through there. We can't get to him." Rodney said. "But you might." He said pointing to a very small hole.
"But that would place you in danger." Fletcher said.
"I'll be fine." Jennifer said not looking convinced.
"But-" Fletcher started.
"Your job is to protect her. Not stop her doing her job." Teyla reminded him. "She will be going in. Your job is to make that action safer."
"Right." He said looking lost.
"You don't have all day." She prompted causing him to back away as Jennifer stripped off her tac vest and jacket to make herself as small as possible.
"You could wait until Cadman blows a hole big enough for us all to get through." Rodney reminded Jennifer.
"How long will that take?" She asked Laura.
"At least an hour."
"The Colonel may not have that much time." Jennifer said.
"It would be safer to wait." Cadman said. "When we blow a hole it could cause everything to collapse."
"I trust you not to let that happen." Jennifer said, looking nervous.
"Okay then. Well you've got this." Laura said as Fletcher approached them and started hooking clips on Jennifer's belt.
"Umm, what are you doing?" Jennifer asked.
"You need to be as small as possible. But you also want to take your med supplies. I also need you to take safety gear so you have some protection when Cadman blows it up. So I'm setting you up with rope to pull the bags along. One end of the rope will stay with me so we can unsnag you...I hope."
"Right." Jennifer said seeing so many things that could go wrong.
-00-
"How you doing in there?" Fletcher asked ten minutes later.
"Same as the last time to asked ten seconds ago." Jennifer grunted as she squeezed through the small passageway. "Damn it." Jennifer muttered.
"What?" Fletcher asked.
"I just bashed my elbow. I'm fine."
"You sure?" Fletcher asked.
"She said she is fine." Teyla said. "Perhaps you would do better assisting Lieutenant Cadman."
"Right." He said feeling helpless.
"I think I see him." Jennifer suddenly said, slightly breathlessly, over the radio.
"Is he alive?" Rodney asked.
"Don't know yet." Jennifer grunted as she squeezed herself through a very small gap, only for one of the bags she was trailing to get stuck. "Damn." She complained again.
"What's going on?" Rodney asked.
"A bag is stuck. I'm cutting it loose."
"Don't you need it?"
"Need to figure out how bad it is first." Jennifer said cutting the rope before squeezing her way further forward.
"Colonel?" She called as she made her way to him. Getting no answer she called again. "Colonel?"
Getting no response she slide to his torso and gently shook his shoulder.
"Colonel?" She called louder.
"Hey doc." John said as his grey moist face revealed everything Jennifer needed to know.
"Laura is going to get us out of here soon. But first I need to treat your injuries." Jennifer said as she ran a flashlight over the Colonel looking for blood loss.
"Not sure you'll have time to treat them all." John said.
"What hurts the most?" Jennifer asked. "And this isn't the time to be macho."
"Ribs and leg. Right one." John said.
"You cold?" Jennifer asked as she started running her hands over his leg.
"Yeah." He confirmed as she felt a damp patch followed by something solid. Shifting herself round she saw a pole sticking through John's leg.
"You need to work on your poker face." John commented.
"And you need to stop getting into these situations." Jennifer said. "I need to stop the blood loss, so I need to try and free my bag." She added. "I'll just be over there. In the mean time I need you to keep talking to me."
"'bout what?" He asked.
"Whatever you want." Jennifer said slithering back to where she left her bags.
"Mind is kinda blank." John said.
"Talk to me about golf then." Jennifer said biting back an expletive as she smashed her knee into a rock.
"Thought you hated….golf." John said.
"So use this as an opportunity to educate me." She said as she started pulling on the rope she had cut earlier. Not getting anywhere she crawled through the small gap on order to force it free. Once she had unsnagged it, she slowly wriggled backwards dragging the bags with her as John went on about golf in the background.
"What's going on in there?" Rodney asked.
"He's awake but loosing blood." Jennifer explained. "We need to get him out of here."
"Working on it." Laura said over the radio as Jennifer suddenly notice the lack of background golf commentary.
"Colonel?" Jennifer called. "John?"
"What's going on?" Rodney asked.
Ignoring the question Jennifer forced her body round so she could see John who she shook again.
"John? Can you hear me?"
"Doc?" He asked forcing his eyes open.
"No sleeping." She said as she pulled out some bandages and started to pack the wound as best as she could in the cramped conditions. "How's your breathing?"
"Okay if I don't move." He said before adding. "Good thing it is cramped in here."
"I can't work out if bad jokes are a good sign or not." Jennifer said.
"Where as I know your frown is a bad sign. How bad is it?"
"We need to get you out of here." Jennifer said.
"That good then." John said as Laura came over the radio.
"We are all set here. How long do you need?"
"Um, three minutes." Jennifer said wriggling back to the bags and pulling out a helmet and blanket which she placed on John.
"No. Where's yours?" He asked.
"No arguing." Jennifer said before calling over the radio. "We're good."
"Hold tight." Laura said. "Three, two, one."
-00-
Opening her eyes Jennifer found herself feeling confused as her ears rung. Over the ringing she heard voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. Shaking off the fuzz she remembered where she was and looked down at the heap below her. Ignoring the voices she pulled the blanket off John and checked his vitals sighing in relief when she felt a pulse. Moments later she felt two strong hands pulling her off John. Looking round she saw Ronon just as he placed her on the ground before returning for John.
"You okay doc?" Fletcher asked handing her some water.
"I think so." She said as he started applying a bandage to her head.
"Looks like a pretty deep cut." He said. "You need to take it easy. Could be a concussion."
"The Colonel." Jennifer said.
"Ronon just put him in the first Jumper. He'll be back in the city in no time." Laura smiled. "Don't worry, Dr Becker arrived a few minutes ago. He's taken over."
"So I'm not needed?" Jennifer asked.
"No." Laura said moments before her friend collapsed.
TBC...