Did I have y'all in suspense? Were you worrying about our poor lads getting a little damaged and wet? Didja??? Hhuuummm???? Well ok I won't keep y'all in suspense, I'm nice like that...well not too much suspense anyway...

-wicked evil grin-

Disclaimers and Warnings as previous pages.

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Chapter 4

"Kiera? KIERA!! Where are you?"

The subject of the young woman's search, a small child with wild hair and large dark eyes giggled from the safety of her hiding place. Creeping on all fours she found the trail to the river and dashed off ahead, safe in the knowledge her sister would soon catch up. Bursting out into the afternoon sunshine Kiera threw her head back and closed her eyes to enjoy the warm rays beating down, listening to the forest.

Cocking her head to one side, the child listened harder. Something was wrong, it was too quiet. Kiera felt no fear, her big sister was close. Maybe she was hiding, planning on surprising her? Moving along the tree line she listened again, expecting her sister to jump out at any moment, until she heard Erin's unmistakable voice from deeper within the trees. Now Kiera felt fear, something wasn't right. Looking around her sharp eyes soon found a likely candidate.

Erin heard the child's screams and rushed headlong through the trees, leaping effortlessly over the high twisted roots, weaving under branches. A lifetime spent living in this world had honed her body for grace and speed; she put ever ounce of energy into utilising it.

Emerging from the tree line the young woman shielded her eyes and kept them away from the water. The sun was high and bright, its reflections would be blinding after the shade of the forest. The river was much slower here but its currents were erratic, the shore dropping steeply to deep water. The undertow could drag you in and under not far from the water's edge and while Kiera could swim she would have no chance against the strong currents.

Erin's eyes adjusted instantly and spotted her sister's small figure at the shore's edge; dashing to her side she wrapped the child in a tight embrace thankful the girl was well. But something must have caused her alarm; she could feel Kiera's little heart pounding.

"Don't you ever run away like that again Kiera, you know father doesn't like anyone to venture this far alone." She hugged her baby sister once more, reassuring herself more then the child. "Why were you screaming?"

"The men." She felt the girl point.

Erin was immediately alert, cursing herself for the lack of attention. They were approaching the boarder, not many of the tribes ventured this far or dared cross the river but there were always exceptions. She pulled Kiera behind her, using her body to shield the child's, scanning the far river bank for movement.

"Not across the river Erin, over there." The girl pointed a little upstream, where the white water began to settle and debris collected against the rocks. She didn't see them at first, then a dark head moved and her eyes found its outline.

"Are they dead Erin?" Kiera asked her sister, sadness in her voice. She didn't like to see anything dead, even the bad men from across the river.

"I don't know Kiera." One of the bodies had moved but that could have been the current.

"Shouldn't we help them?"

Erin nodded once and started to move upstream, one hand fingering the torc at her throat, the other on her sister, keeping the child's small frame shielded by her own body. She almost jumped out of her skin when two boys burst from the trees making little Kiera cry out in terror.

"Made you jump!" The boys screamed in delight.

Recognising her brothers Kiera forgot her fear and broke free of Erin's protective embrace. She rushed towards the boys angrily thumbing one then the other. Neither made a move to retaliate and giggled more, hugging tiny Kiera and preventing further blows. Their giggles sobered at Erin's unsmiling face.

"Reese, Blaise; what have I told you about sneaking up on me out here?"

"Sorry Erin." They mumbled in unison.

The young woman pushed aside her anger at the twins; if not for the situation she would have reacted as Kiera had. Walking up to the boys she hugged them in apology, never letting her eyes leave the two men in the river. Blaise followed his sister's line of sight.

"Are they dead?"

"I don't know Blaise, take your sister and I will find out." He nodded solemnly and lifted Kiera into his arms.

"Should I run and tell father Erin?" Reese asked, already sure of the answer and moving into the trees. The woman nodded her agreement and the boy was gone.

"Stay here with Kiera, Blaise, keep her safe."

"We should stay with you Erin, you might need our help."

"I will call if I do." Without another word she made her way towards the rivers edge. Despite her request Erin could hear footsteps; glancing over her shoulder she saw Blaise had moved back amongst the trees, following, but keeping his distance.

Before Erin reached the men she could tell they were not tribesmen, closer now she could make out their dress and features. Both looked to be dead but as she reached the pebble bank the rough water dislodged part of the debris. As it broke away it took one of the bodies with it, bringing the second darker dressed man to life. He reached out for the other desperately trying to prevent its departure. Without thinking Erin waded a little into the water and leapt lightly onto the nearest rock.

"Erin!" Her brother screamed, fear straining his voice.

"Stay back Blaise, don't scare your sister."

"You're the one scaring her Erin, you can't go in the river, it will carry you away." Blaise's fear was quickly turning to panic. Kiera clutched tighter in her brother's arms feeling his fear and feeding her own.

Erin looked from her siblings to the men in the river. If she waited for Reese to bring help the current could have carried the men beyond it. If she tried to help them now her brother's fears may also come true. Her attention was brought back to the man; oblivious to her presence he cried out as his companion's body began to slip away.

Without stopping to think anymore Erin leapt to the next rock, using them as stepping stones. Blaise and Kiera could do nothing but watch as their sister chose to put her own life at risk.

She was closer now, but the rocks had become jagged and impassable. Slipping into the water Erin gasped as the cold took her breath away. The day was hot but the river was fed from high in the mountains and swelled against its banks with freshly melted snow and ice. Using the rocks as hand holds she used them to pull herself closer, reaching out she touched the first man's shoulder. He reacted violently, jerking away from her touch and in the same instant loosing the grip on his friend. Without waiting to explain Erin pushed passed him and dived for the second man, snagging a hold on his jacket. She felt herself being pulled with the current, struggling to keep them both above the water; her hand slipping futilely along the slicks rocks, powerless against the rivers pull.

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Sheppard was cold, colder then he had ever been in his entire life. He couldn't even remember it being this cold stationed in the Antarctic. His entire body seemed to shiver, muscles cramping painfully then numbing. Soon everything would become numb, then warm and then...

When had things gone so wrong? Probably sitting in that damn chair was a good place to start, but then screwing things up was his specialty. Disobeying orders and putting a permanent black mark on his record was probably more to the root if he really thought about it. Not a decision he regretted though, he'd be damned if he was going to leave one man behind in that hell hole, never mind three.

Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have been shipped out to a lump of ice as punishment, even if he did kinda like it. Then he wouldn't have taxied some wacky General out to Antarctica's version of area 51; never gotten mixed up with the Stargate and never been such a total smart ass and proved Beckett wrong by sitting in that damn chair. Yep, it was definitely the chairs fault.

Beckett? That name seemed important.

In one blinding flash of realisation the events of the recent past came flooding back. Oh god Beckett was hurt, or dead. The look of unbelieving surprise on the doctor's face as the arrow buried itself in his chest came back to haunt Sheppard.

The sensation of rushing water brought John back to the world around him. More debris hit whatever he was using to keep afloat and sent a freezing wave over his head. Struggling for air he involuntarily gulped down more water and choking, something slipped from his grasp.

Snapping his eyes open, Sheppard coughed, struggled for air and took precious moments to realise what was happening. He was lodged in amongst logs and broken foliage, caught between rocks at the river's edge. Frantically looking around he realised the thing that had slipped from his grasp was Beckett. Snared in his own personally collection of floating debris, the doctor's body was slowly being ripped free by the current.

Stretching out Sheppard desperately sought to keep him from slipping away, if there was any chance he was alive...he managed a tenuous hold on Beckett's arm. Soar ribs erupted into life making him cry out in pain and frustration, they were alive because of the debris, but it prevented him from reaching the doctor. Moment by moment he felt his hold slowly slipping. Beckett was unmoving and oblivious to his own peril, unconscious or dead he couldn't tell.

Just as Sheppard thought there was nothing he could do, something collided with his back, a hand gripping his shoulder. The touch was so completely unexpected he yelped and lost his grip on Beckett. Before he could react a body pushed past and grabbed his friend. The stranger clung desperately to the doctor's lifeless body, struggling to keep her head above water and prevent the current from dragging them both away. For a moment Sheppard watched numbed as her hand slipped along the rocks fighting for purchase before reaching out and grabbing it.

With the weight of two bodies it was all he could do to hang on, nerves screaming to let go, side straining to breaking point. The newcomer switched her grip to his wrist and turned her attention to Beckett. He watched helplessly as she used her legs to hold onto Carson and pulled him clear of the debris.

The current snatched it away and without the added buoyancy the pair suddenly sank beneath the surface, emerging a moment later struggling to keep above the surface. Using the grip on Sheppard's hand the girl began to move herself and the unconscious doctor to relative safety. John pulled with everything he had left in him and felt something snap in his side.

For a moment the world dissolved to black, his own cry of pain and the rush of water echoing hollow. Sheppard came around again when a hand touched his face; the touch was strangely warm and seemed to push away the pain. He opened his eyes and found himself starring into the girl's steady green gaze. Beckett's body was held against her own, his head resting above the water on the log Sheppard was pinned to.

"Help is coming, hold on." Her hand slipped away from his face and took the warmth with it.

"Is...he..."

"He lives." A wave of relief washed over the major. Dropping his head to the log, Sheppard felt the darkness consume him again.

To Be Continued....