Author's Note: This was issued as a challenge on another list. Please R&R! Edited 8/27/06 as I go through and fix older unbeta'd stories!

A Buggy Problem
McKay was running, his breaths coming in a harsh staccato, in disjointed rhythm with the pounding of his boots on the ground. Running from the projected illusionary wraiths, and from the real wraiths somewhere behind them, being drawn off by Major Sheppard. Teyla was directly behind, hot on his heels, and Ford was bringing up their rear, protecting them from any enemy that may have slipped through Sheppard's tactic.

"Jumpers' ahead!" McKay shouted, letting Ford know they had made it. He could see Stackhouse waiting in the rear hatch, anxiously watching their approach.

They ran up the ramp, Ford stayed outside, twisting around with his weapon raised, as the projections made him believe they continued to be surrounded. He strained to see any sign of the Major's approach. They had to get out of here!

"Lieutenant?" Stackhouse questioned from the ramp.

Ford shook his head. The last contact the Major had said one was down and two others were following him. Ford was getting worried. He felt the air whisper behind him, announcing movement, Teyla.

"We should go for him." She stared at him resolutely.

McKay had returned to the rear also. "Can't you radio him...or something?" he asked rapidly, wanting to get Sheppard and get the hell of this planet.

"I can't," Ford said, frustrated. "It might give away his position."

"We must do something," Teyla said, her voice betraying the stress they were all under.

Before Ford could reply, they heard their radios crackle, static, then a pain-filled Sheppard called, "Ford..."

Ford depressed the button, his body taut with worry. "Major?"

"...bug...wraith...your way." His voice was bordering on inaudible, but Ford got the part Sheppard was worried about. The decoy had failed for whatever reason, and the wraith were headed this way.

He was ranking officer with Sheppard gone. His duty to the team warred with his desire to rescue Sheppard. He remembered Sumner's disapproval of Sheppard's insistence of never leave a man behind. He also had intel that needed to get back to Atlantis. The wraith ship was gone, and they needed to know. Duty warred with principle. He hesitated, fighting internally. Making his decision, principle won.

He turned to Teyla. "Do you sense any wraith?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

He nodded. "Stackhouse, you and McKay stay with Jumper One. Get Markham out here and defend it at all costs. If you can't hold, leave. Come back for us later." He pushed in the radio button. "Major...I need to know your location!"

"...negative...get out of here!" Sheppard's voice crackled, laced with agony and concern.

"No sir!" Ford hollered. "We are returning to your location. Where are you?"

There was silence and Ford worried that Sheppard had made the choice for him by not cooperating. He waited, Teyla standing tense nearby, when the silence was broken by his tired voice. "About a...click west of the Jumper...Ford...watch out...for webs." Sheppard's breathing was hard; sounding like he had ran a marathon in record time, and just finished.

Ford looked at Teyla, confused. "Webs?"

Teyla shook her head but remained quiet. They began heading in the direction Sheppard had told them. McKay and Stackhouse watched them move out with apprehension. Before they had gone a few steps, McKay shouted behind them, "Good luck Lieutenant." Ford didn't turn back but waved a hand behind him, acknowledging Doctor McKay's growing conscience.

They hadn't gone far when Teyla put her hand up. "Wraith," she whispered, dropping to the ground, taking cover in the undergrowth. Ford crouched low beside her. They could see the figures skulking through bushes to their left. Ford held his breath, praying they would pass by, not sensing them.

Luck or fortune smiled on them, because the wraith continued on, not even glancing in their direction. Ford let out the air he had been unaware he was holding. "That was close." Teyla nodded mutely.

They crept forward, keeping low, and making as little disturbance as possible. The underbrush was dry and brittle, and every step seemed to echo in Ford's head. Come on Major, give me a sign, Ford thought. As if someone read his mind, he heard rustling ahead. He beckoned to Teyla, and they advanced on the location of the noise. Coming to the edge of the clearing, he saw Major Sheppard on his knees, one hand grabbing at his neck, the other trying to support his weight from toppling over.

Ford stared, horrified. "Major!" He forced his feet to move him closer. Attached to Sheppard's neck was a huge bug-like creature.

Sheppard jerked his head upwards, grimacing as the movement caused fresh waves of pain to shoot through his body. "Get...this...off of me!" he growled, every word costing him undue effort.

Ford knelt on Sheppard's right side, opposite the creature. Teyla stood behind him, uncertain of what to do. "What is it?" he asked dumbly, still in shock at what was happening.

"It's...the biggest...damn...mosquito! Hell, I...don't know...just...get it...off!" Sheppard lost the war to keep upright and toppled backward, Teyla's legs catching him as he tumbled down. She eased him the rest of the way, trying to avoid causing further pain, but was largely unsuccessful, as Sheppard bit down on a pained scream.

"Pull it off!" Ford shouted at Teyla.

She didn't question, but reached for the bug, and pulled, gently at first, afraid to hurt Major Sheppard, then stronger when the bug failed to yield its grip on Sheppard. She looked back at Ford, worried, "It won't come off!"

Ford wasn't an entomologist, but that bug looked like bad news, and he figured if they didn't get it off soon, the Major was in a lot of trouble.

"Lieutenant, we are taking fire! I repeat; we are taking fire!" Stackhouse's voice shouted into the radio, and Ford could hear the tension flying in the man's veins.

He pushed the button. "Hold them off Sergeant! We've located Major Sheppard, but he's injured, we'll try to get..."

"No!" Sheppard reached a weak hand and grabbed Ford's wrist. "Here," he gasped, trying to get his idea through and being unable to formulate an entire sentence because of the pain.

Ford didn't need more, he understood, "Sergeant, lift off!" he ordered.

"Sir?" Stackhouse asked.

McKay butted in, "We're not leaving you guys!"

Ford bit back an angry retort. "I'm not asking you to leave. Come and get us." He fought to keep himself in control.

"Roger that Lieutenant, heading into Jumper One now, keep an eye out for us," Stackhouse said. Ford heard the whine of the wraith weapons in the background.

"Ford!" Sheppard cried out from the ground. "Get it off!"

Ford could see the panic growing in Sheppard's face. He pulled out his gun. If it didn't want to let go, he'd make the damn thing let go. Sheppard paled, but didn't protest; grunting instead, "Don't...miss."

"I won't Major." He slid his weapon over the Major's body, going in sideways to get the best shot. "You ready sir?"

Sheppard managed a small nod of assent, his breathing ragged. Ford grimaced. "Here we go," he muttered. He hesitated, for the barest of seconds, scared to death of what this might do, then pulled the trigger before he could second-guess himself.

The air was rent by the Major's screams. Sheppard reached up, arching off the ground, grasping Ford's arm, trying to escape the terrible pain cascading across his nerves.

Sheppard dimly heard Ford calling him, "Major...Major?" He couldn't respond. He couldn't think. His entire world had gone back up in flames.

"We must do something!" Teyla cried, he heard the panic in her voice, and he wanted to tell her it was okay, he understood they only meant to help, but he couldn't respond. He could do nothing but endure the endless agony.

He managed to crack his eyes open, mere slits, trying to see the events turning around him. Ford was holding his hand; funny...he didn't feel that. Teyla was leaning over him with her knife. She was angling it inward and for a second, he wondered if they were going to kill him, a way to end this nightmare, but instead she plunged it into the soft belly of the creature holding him so tight.

Ford saw the Major's eyes open farther, the panic of earlier replaced by terror. The creature had dug in harder, the pincers sinking deep into Sheppard's carotid artery. "He can't breathe, push him up!"

Teyla dropped her knife, and got her hands underneath Sheppard's head, down to his shoulders, levering him up. He was squirming, trying to escape, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. "It's not working."

In the short time she had known Major Sheppard she had come to respect him and treasured his friendship. His soft demeanor, and the acceptance of her and her people as equals. From the moment he had looked at her in that tent on her world, he had accepted her for who she was, and nothing less. She wanted to do something for him, and couldn't even help him when he needed it most.

"It's...okay," he gasped, "Something...else." Sheppard sucked in each breath, certain he was going to die anyway.

Ford had gone pale, feeling ill at the Major's condition. "We've tried everything," he said, unable to keep a thread of despair tainting his words.

"No...we haven't," Teyla said, staring at him, pointedly keeping her eyes away from Sheppard's flushed and sweaty face. If she looked at him, she'd quit. She couldn't stand to put him through more pain, but if they were going to get it off, she'd have to do just that.

"What?" Ford asked, looking up at the sky, thinking Jumper One should have been there by now.

"Fire."

"Fire?" Ford sputtered, "It'll burn him!"

Teyla shook her head impatiently. "No...not him...the creature's back."

Ford considered what she said. It was risky. Everything they had tried had made the situation worse. He looked back at Sheppard and was alarmed at the pasty appearance of his skin. His eyes were squeezed shut as he coped with another wave of pain so intense it took his breath away.

"We should wait..." Ford began, but Sheppard thrust his eyes open, and swore, "No! Get it...off!"

"...mper One approaching you Lieutenant, do you have visual?" Markham's voice. Ford missed part of his sentence, having been overwhelmed with Sheppard's situation. He craned his neck to look at the sky, seeing a flash approaching from above.

"Got it," he said.

Teyla had a lighter, and was leaning over the Major. She looked at Ford, waiting. Ford nodded, and grabbed Sheppard's hand tighter, ready for the worst. Teyla held the flame gingerly, beginning to sweep it across the bug's back. It began twittering manically, the proboscis digging in yet deeper. The hand Ford was holding gripped stronger than he could've imagined, to the point where Ford thought the bones in his hand were surely breaking. Sheppard jerked, and stilled.

"Teyla, stop...it's killing him!" Ford shouted, panicked at the lack of movement from the Major. His face had lost all color; a fine sheen of sweat covered his face, his lips drawn up in a grim parody of a smile.

Teyla shut the lighter off, and lifted his head into her lap, cradling him as carefully as possible.

Ford was shaking Sheppard frantically, "Major!" He was scared to death. The Jumper was landing in the clearing but Ford kept his attention on Sheppard. He searched for a pulse, and didn't find one. "Oh God," he whispered.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Teyla begged.

"Lieutenant?" McKay had run over to the huddled figures, seeing Sheppard's body lying still. He was appalled by what he saw. "Oh no."

"He's dead," Ford announced flatly.

McKay shook his head, not wanting to believe him. "No..."

Movement behind them, coming up through the bushes. "Lieutenant, the wraith, they are coming!" Stackhouse was leaning out the rear hatch, his face lined with anxiety.

Ford wanted to punch something, anything, and suddenly he didn't care if the wraith were coming. Let them. He'd blow them to so many little pieces they'd never recover. The hand that had gone slack in his suddenly gripped down, hard, again. Ford almost fainted, "Holy shit...Major?" he called.

Teyla had rocked back onto her knees, distraught, and now sat back up, and became still, watching Ford lean in towards the Major. He was laying his head on the Major's chest...listening for something. Ford's face split into the biggest grin she had ever seen, "He's alive!" He looked at Teyla and McKay in stunned disbelief, "He's alive!"

McKay felt like someone had squeezed him to within an inch of death then released him, so hard was the rush of pent up emotion that went through him. A whine of weapons fire above made him drop down, reminding them all of the very real approaching threat.

"Let's get him out of here!" McKay shouted, reaching down for Sheppard's feet. Ford ducked lower, an involuntary reaction to the increasing fire around them, and got Sheppard's right shoulder and arm while Teyla grabbed his left.

"Get ready Stackhouse!" Ford shouted, above the chaos erupting around them.

Groans beneath alerted them of Sheppard's return to consciousness, "What..." he tried to ask, his voice slurring.

"Hold on Major!" Ford warned, as they dragged him into Jumper One, setting him on the floor of the ship, slamming the hatch mechanism. "Go!"

Sheppard had returned to the world of the living, color suffusing his face, though he was still shaky and weak. McKay and Teyla moved him against the natural incline of the rear hatch while Ford rushed up to the cockpit, issuing orders to the Sergeant, whose hands flew over the controls, the puddle jumper lifting into the air like a bird in flight.

The ship rocked from a hit. Sheppard grabbed at the bug, trying to keep the movement from jarring it around more than it was, each aggravating hit causing fresh pain. "Taking fire!" he hollered, half-begging it to stop and worried for the rest of the team.

Another shot rattled the ship, the tremors transferred through the deck. Sheppard didn't think they were going to make it. "Get some altitude!" he ordered gruffly, grimacing and rolling to the right, trying to let his body flow with the movement of the jumper.

"Hang on Major, we'll be back at Atlantis in no time." McKay was looking at him like he had died, a fragile piece of glass that would break at any minute, and nothing could repair it.

"I know," he said raggedly, trying to stay calm. Teyla was kneeling beside him, a warm hand on his shoulder, the other on his leg. Thanks Teyla, he thought, unable to voice what it meant to him. He knew they'd take care of him.

The End