Carousel (part 10)

As near as Sheppard could figure, they'd been walking for close to thirty minutes. He was surprised that Ford and a security team hadn't followed them in all that time. Where the heck was everyone?

Shifting Rodney's limp form for the fourth time in so many minutes, he readjusted the heavy scientist, knowing there was no way he could stop and put the man down. He'd seen the look on Kolrin's face when they had left the workroom and he knew the kid/man/boy/stupid Kavanaugh loving alien/whatever wasn't playing with a full bag of marbles. The occasional run in with a crazy here and there over his career hadn't quite prepared him for this guy though. The outcome was never easy and usually someone always got hurt. 'Guess that part's already happened.'

"So, where we're going?" he questioned the quiet figure walking behind him.

"Our destination is not much farther, Major."

"I'd hate for you to think me rude but you didn't answer my question." Sheppard felt the tensing of Rodney's muscles as the doctor slowly regained consciousness. Gripping his friend's legs tighter, he tried to send a message for him to stay still. But then again, this was Rodney. When did he ever do what you wanted him to do?

"If you don't put me down soon, I'm going to throw up on your back," McKay mumbled.

"We are almost there. Keep going, Major," the monotone voice behind them instructed.

Feeling Rodney tense, Sheppard realized that the doctor must not have known about Kolrin. "Take it easy, McKay," he said quietly, but knew his words were fruitless when he felt Rodney's hand squeeze his arm.

"Put me down, Sheppard, or I really am going to be sick on you."

"Sorry, Kolrin, but I'm stopping." Carefully propping the bedraggled scientist against the wall, he watched him slowly slide down to the floor. If it hadn't been for all of the blood in Rodney's face from being carried upside down, he probably would have been white as a sheet. Tipping his friends face up to catch his attention, John studied the scientist as he continued to breathe heavily in an attempt at stopping himself from losing what little he had in his stomach. "How are you doing?"

Closing his eyes, McKay's head fell wearily on to his knees, "I've had better days."

"Get up," Kolrin demanded.

Sheppard glared at their abductor. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see he needs to rest?"

Kolrin studied McKay for a moment before looking to the Major. "Get up."

"He can't."

Rodney's gun turned from being pointed at the Major to being aimed at the scientist. "If he is unable to continue, then I will kill him now."

Sheppard was really beginning to hate this guy. Placing Rodney's arm over his shoulder, he lifted the scientist to his feet. "Come on, McKay. Commander Crazy says we're almost there, wherever that may be."

The tired physicist stumbled a few times, leaning heavily against the Major for support. When Sheppard looked over, Rodney's eyes were closed but somehow the doctor felt his gaze and looked up. "We're going to get out of this."

McKay nodded. Sighing, he appeared to pull what little reserves he had left together and attempted to stand on his own. "If you insist on dragging me through these infernal hallways in the middle of the night, then I need to eat something. I'm hypoglycemic and if my system isn't running on fumes right now, it soon will be."

The Athosian removed a power bar from a pocket and tossed it towards the men, which Sheppard caught with ease. Eyeing the apricot bar with disdain, he pulled off the wrapper and placed it in Rodney's shaking hand.

"Apricot. Not really my favorite. Got anything else?"

"McKay."

"What, Major?"

"Shut up."

"No, I will not shut up. It seems our colleague here is only interested in my superior brain. For what purpose?" Turning to face the Athosian, McKay cast a bored glance at the young man. "Are you going to try and best me? Prove to yourself and Kavanagh how smart you think you are? We all know he's an ass." Taking a bite of the bar, he chewed and forced himself to swallow. "And why drag the Major along on this fishing trip, Collin?"

"Kolrin."

"Whatever. " Stuffing the remainder of the bar in his mouth, he stared with absolute contempt at their abductor. "If you wanted to learn, you should have come to me. Not some second rate scientist who has the brains of a trash can."

"Rodney," Sheppard hissed, not quite sure what the doctor was up to.

"Dr. Kavanaugh is a brilliant scientist," the young man said defensively.

"In his own mind, I imagine he is. Tell me, boy, if Kavanagh can't replace me, how are you going to? Do you think dragging me down to some secret lab you might have will prove anything? Furthermore, do you really need him?" He thumbed toward the man at his side. "He's military. If it wasn't for his ATA gene, he wouldn't be able to activate a light bulb; let alone a sensor panel or security system."

Sheppard stared in surprise before he realized what McKay was trying to tell him. "Wait one minute, Doctor. If you are so smart and all knowing; what about the Wraith?"

"What about them," Rodney sneered. "Once I get my hands on a ZPM, I'm out of here. I don't have any plans on staying on the forsaken station. Let the others worry about themselves, they're not my problem."

"You woke the Wraith!" Kolrin shouted, getting caught up in the sparring match.

"So what? It's not like you're human?"

"McKay!" Sheppard snapped, pushing the scientist across the hall, up against the wall. Meeting Rodney's gaze, he winked. "You will stand down." He then jerked to meet Kolrin's furious disbelief filled gaze while grabbing McKay by the jacket, "Tell me where to go and I'll personally drop this jackass off for you."

Kolrin gaped as he attempted to contemplate what was happening. "Sublevel 8."

"The basement?" Rodney derided. "You've got to be kidding me. If you want to be something, start at the top, not the bottom. No wonder you went to Kavanaugh."

"That's enough, McKay," Sheppard warned as he reached out and hit the wall beside Rodney's head with his open palm, activating a doorway. Thrusting Rodney through, he hit the panel on the other side for the door to close before Kolrin realized what had even happened. The sound of gunfire and objects hitting the door filled the dark room.

"You alright?"

"He's going to sink Atlantis," was the only audible reply.

The Major remained quiet, running his hands along the wall until he found what he was looking for. With a triumphant 'yes' a soft glow lit the room, illuminating Rodney sitting on the floor with his head tilted back against the wall.

"Talk to me, McKay."

"Sublevel 8 is the bottom of Atlantis. It is also, where the stabilizers and water holding cells are. If he blows them, either he'll short out the stabilizers or, the disbursed weight of kilotons of water will cause the stabilizers to overload."

"So, we have to get down there."

"How? He will know our every move. He has a gun, the life sign detector, and heaven only know how many of those little cherry bombs he's made."

"Okay, so we're at a disadvantage."

Rodney snorted.

"I counted seven shots fired at the door. Your clip holds eleven, so he only has four shots left. He doesn't have the gene so he won't be getting into anything the Ancients would have left behind." Running his hand through his hair, he hunkered down beside Rodney, "We need to get to a radio patch into the communication system. Any chance you're up for another Hail Mary?"

Reaching inside his coat, Rodney pulled out the personal shield. "I do have this."

Sheppard grinned, "I could hug you, right about now."

"I think I'll pass on that little experience, Major. What would all of the swooning hearts on board Atlantis think?"

"Right, I have an image to maintain."

Rodney rolled his eyes, slowly making his way to his feet with help. "I wasn't talking about you."

"That's just cold, McKay."

Chuckling, both men began searching the room for another exit.