PARADISE
By NotTasha

PART 8: DEVIL DOGS

Sheppard awoke with the dawn. He sighed, staring out at the peaceful rolling surf, wishing he felt the serenity the scene should have provided. Rolling over, he spied Teyla feeding the fire. She smiled at him and whispered, "Good morning, Major Sheppard."

With a stretch, John sat up. Ford had just thrown an arm over his eyes and was on his way to waking. Rodney was curled up, near the DHD, under one of the recovered blankets. The strewn bits had mostly disappeared, reconstructed into the larger sub-components, but enough crystals and parts remained to tell Sheppard that the work wasn't finished yet.

Following his gaze, Teyla commented, "He fell asleep only an hour ago."

Sheppard cocked his head, declaring, "Well, I thought I'd gotten him to go to bed before my shift ended."

To that, Teyla laughed softly. "Yes, but Lt. Ford tells me that Dr. McKay worked throughout most of his shift, and continued through most of mine." She smiled, affectionately, and stated, "He is determined to fix the device. I believe he had no intention of falling asleep when he did, but in the end he was too exhausted to continue. I made certain he did not become cold," she stated, nodding to the blanket that had been thrown over the scientist.

"Thanks," Sheppard said. He slowly stood, stretching further. "You see any of those dog-things."

"Lt. Ford has called them 'devil-dogs'."

"Ford!" Sheppard exclaimed to the still waking soldier. "What did I tell you about naming things? Devil-dogs?"

Ford scrunched his brow as he sat up. "I thought it fit…" he muttered.

Sheppard shook his head, trying to drive out the memory of sweet and tasty Drake's "Devil Dogs" cakes with their cream filling. His stomach growled. Sadly, he remembered that the previous night they'd eaten their only food, assured by McKay's promise of a quick return.

Teyla continued talking, "More than once, they approached our camp. The sound they make is most unsettling. They have circled the area and have tested our perimeter. Lt. Ford reported similarly," she added, nodding to the young man.

"Yeah," Aiden put in with a yawn. He smacked his lips and stretched his shoulders. "What do you think about that noise they make?"

"It's not nice," Sheppard decided.

"They are bold," Teyla commented. "And getting bolder."

The major looked toward McKay again, seeing that the P90 rested under one of his hands. "Think he's got the DHD about fixed?" Sheppard asked.

"He was reluctant to state his current progress," Teyla informed. "He has been frustrated."

"Yeah, that's one word for it," Ford stated as he loosely folded his blanket. "He didn't say much during my shift, but sure wasn't happy." Aiden made a face and asked, "How's our water supply looking?"

"Our water is nearly gone," Teyla responded, handing the remaining canteen to Aiden. "I believe we should retrieve the water we found yesterday, Major Sheppard. We shall need to boil it before it can be used."

"We have water purification tablets in our emergency kits," Ford stated, touching his pocket. After a sip from the canteen, he asked Sheppard, "So, should you and I should go?"

"Wait 'til McKay wakes up," the major responded.

"I will be able to stand watch," Teyla told him. "I have done so on my own already. We should allow him further rest."

Sheppard took the canteen from Ford, shaking it to gauge what was left -- almost nothing. He took swig, and handed it to Teyla. "All right, Ford, you ready to take a little walk?"

TBC -
A/N: I prefer Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs