AN: Nope, it wasn't the end, I'm pleased to bring you yet another cliffhanger. This chapter had me on the edge of my seat, and I wrote it. I hope it has the same effect on you!

Chapter Ten

A Wraith In Time

Sheppard couldn't stop the pounding in his head. It had begun shortly after he had woken, and proceeded to increase at an exponential level with each moment in time. At the rate it was progressing, he figured his head was going to explode and solve the looming crisis for him.

He could hear murmurs from the others around him. They had woken up, and everyone was relieved to have discovered they were alive. More than one hadn't expected to ever see the light of day again. Of course, they hadn't really seen the light of day yet, but there was still hope. It appeared that the hypothesis of the being, or beings, that killed the Wraith worked on a telepathic level, had been a correct one. How they killed the Wraith was still unknown, but it had to have been some type of attack on a mental plane, which explained why their bodies had appeared untouched, with the exception of the gruesome visages etched permanently on their faces.

John had been the last to recover from the sedative. Not much of a surprise as he was degenerating at an alarming rate. He felt a weakness inside that he had never felt before, the pounding in his skull, and he was starting to feel as if he were coming out of his skin. He scratched an area on his wrist absently while trying to listen to the conversation. He realized the scientists were brainstorming a way off this ship. They had escaped, but everyone knew it was only temporary. The Hive ships that had been tailing them wouldn't be far off. He didn't know if they'd try to go around, around being somewhat relative in space, or try to throttle through and lose ships in a direct attempt. The last McKay had seen were the four Hive ships pulling back.

He scratched his neck. He was hot. He wanted to go home. It struck him that home was now Atlantis. He no longer thought of Earth when he thought of going home. He scratched the itch on his wrist again.

"Major." Teyla called softly.

He opened his eyes. Teyla was bending over him. When did she leave the group? "Teyla?" He licked his dry lips.

Teyla leaned in, and propped his head forward, bringing a canteen with fresh water to his mouth, holding it steady while he fought to swallow. "How do you feel?"

"Hot." He admitted. He felt like someone had turned his internal thermostat into overdrive.

"Doctor Beckett said your fever has risen."

John fought to keep his hands off his neck. It was itching abominably. "Where is Beckett?" He craned his head trying to see where everyone was. He thought everyone had been in the Jumper and now he only saw Teyla and himself.

"Doctor McKay and Doctor Zelenka believe they have figured a way out of this ship. Doctor Beckett wanted to accompany them to the other Jumper for more medical supplies." Teyla answered. She was watching the Major with fear. He was pale, sweaty, and some kind of rash was appearing on his skin. It almost looked like…

"What are you staring at?"

Teyla couldn't prevent the involuntary gasp, "Your skin!"

Sheppard stared at her, puzzled, following her eyes down to his wrist. The spot that had been itching was changed. The skin had taken on a sick greenish hue, and turning patchy, almost scaly. He fought to hold back the bile from rising. Oh god, he was changing.

"How much C-4 should I use?" Ford was holding several packs, stacked one on another, in his hands.

McKay scowled, "Use it all." He wanted to make sure this ship was blasted to its most basic components. His plan was to begin the chain reaction in the engine core. The other systems should fall, but in case they didn't, there was C-4 against the bulkhead to blow the wall out and still allow them to escape. Either way, they were getting off this flying coffin. The Jumper's shields should protect them…at least he hoped.

Beckett held another bag in his hand. "I'm ready."

"Zelenka, stay on Jumper Two, wait for Markham and Stackhouse. They'll ride with you on the return trip, that way if anything goes wrong you can fix it. Ford, once you get back from setting the C-4, pick a ship. I'll be in Jumper One with the Major, Carson and Teyla." McKay wasn't sure how he'd wound up issuing the orders, but he had.

Everyone nodded. Markham holstered his berretta in favor of the larger P-90, while Ford shouldered a pack he'd filled with the explosive, and Stackhouse followed the two out, holding the life-signs detector, even though previously it had proved largely unhelpful. It was all they had.

"Check in!" McKay called at their retreating backs. Ford waved a brief acknowledgement before they faded into the darkness.

Ford surveyed the room. This was where McKay had said to plant the C-4. When he had asked where exactly in the room, McKay had merely said everywhere. He had thought about making a snide comment about the helpfulness of certain scientists but figured it was counterproductive, and he was still feeling out the man who was Rodney McKay. While the Major seemed to have found a type of fighting friendship with the guy, Ford wasn't sure whether he'd get rational McKay or losing it McKay during any given time. He had managed to deal with him effectively in the Jumper when their lives were about to be snuffed out along with the open wormhole after the fiasco with the Major and that funky bug, but he wasn't sure if it was dumb luck, or even if he could replicate the strategy.

"Keep your eyes out." Ford ordered, setting the bag down and pulling out three chunks of the stuff. He figured some locations looked more promising than others, and he began to set-up the explosive in those areas first.

He was beginning to work up a sweat when he reached in the bag and came up with the last pack of C-4. Thank God, he thought. He was not enjoying this experience and hoped like hell they made it back to Atlantis in one piece. He was beginning to have his doubts.

"Lieutenant, I realize you are having fun, but how much longer is it going to take?" The voice crackled over his radio, causing him to jerk.

"Damn!" He swore, as he steadied himself with a deep breath, "I told you I'd check in when we were through."

"No, you didn't. You waved." McKay argued. "Move faster, the Major is bad."

Ford set the last pack, "We're done."

"Good, get back here, ASAP." McKay replied, shutting the connection.

Ford took one final look at the room. It was ready. "Let's go." He ordered, grabbing the rucksack from the ground, and moving back towards the Jumpers.

Stackhouse was leading the party, his gun was held out, hand tight and ready. He'd handed the life-signs detector off to Markham, taking a turn on watch, as they made steady progress back towards the others.

"There's something coming." Markham spoke up from behind.

Stackhouse glanced over his shoulder, still looking forward, "What do you mean?"

"Look." Markham held out the instrument for Ford and Stackhouse to see the white dot approaching ahead.

Ford clicked his radio, "Doctor McKay, is everyone with you?"

"Yes." McKay's voice answered irritably, "Why?"

"I think we've got company." Ford told him, waving for Markham and Stackhouse to fan out against the wall. "Is there any way back to the Jumper that doesn't take this corridor?"

There was a pause; he figured McKay was checking the data bank he had managed to download. "No." The voice echoed flatly through his headpiece.

Ford nodded, a mixture of accepting the situation, and thinking through the course of action that lie ahead. "Right." He said, "McKay, have Zelenka ready with Jumper Two, we're going to be coming in hot."

He turned to address the other two soldiers, who despite the situation remained cool on the outside, though he figured they were probably quaking inside as much as he was. "We're going to charge straight through. We can't defeat it; we don't have the ordinance to risk it. Run like hell, fire like crazy, and get back to the Jumper."

They shared a quiet moment of preparation. Ford waited till he thought they were ready, then grabbed his gun hard and ran like his life depended on it, the irony that it probably did wasn't lost on him. He could only hope they'd make it.

Sheppard's eyes flew open. "Ford?" He rasped.

Beckett was sitting beside him, and looked at McKay when Sheppard had said Ford's name. McKay stared ahead, refusing to make eye contact and looking for all the world like his best friend had died. He knew Ford and the other two were in trouble.

"Where is he?" Sheppard persisted. "I feel something…" He felt like hell, but this was different. He could sense those around him in a different way…and what he thought was Ford was like a heartbeat flying out of control. He didn't know how to explain it.

"He'll be here soon." Beckett said, leaving out the fact that if they did manage to make it back, there'd most likely be a Wraith back with them, hot on their heels. He didn't know how they'd manage to deal with it. Zelenka had powered up Jumper Two.

Sheppard struggled to get on his feet, "Help me."

Beckett shook his head, "Absolutely not Major; you are in no shape to go anywhere."

"Teyla?" Sheppard pleaded.

"Major, what do you think you can accomplish, you're barely able to stand on your feet?" McKay asked peevishly. It was bad enough that three of their people were racing back, on a ship rigged to blow sky high, if they were in a sky, and now Sheppard was trying to be a hero and get himself killed.

Sheppard shot a dark look at McKay, "Something's wrong, I can feel it, and you won't tell me. If Ford's in danger, he needs back-up."

"And you're going to give it?" McKay asked incredulously. "You can't even get up on your own."

"I only need to be propped up with a gun. We'll cover them." He countered.

McKay didn't want to persist on how the Major even knew what was going on, because without anyone telling him, John had a grasp of the situation. He debated internally the intelligence of allowing Sheppard's request, knowing that if they denied it, the Major was in no condition to do a thing about it.

Before he could say anything, Teyla was helping Sheppard to his feet, and easing him towards the rear. "Open the hatch." She instructed softly.

The Wraith lunged at Ford, who let loose with all he had, hoping desperately it would be enough to knock it back. Markham and Stackhouse opened fire as well. The Wraith jerked with each shot as it was peppered with clips of ammo. "Go!" Ford hollered once the Wraith was down and not moving.

They let their weapons hang on the front, and ran harder than they had ever run in their lives. Ford heard the thing grunt behind them and knew it was getting back on its feet. He also knew those things were incredibly fast. "McKay, we're almost there, and it's right behind us!" He yelled into the radio.

"We're ready Lieutenant." McKay answered anxiously.

Ford hoped they were because if not, things would come to an ugly end, and he had thought of many ways to die, none of which were worse than this. A blaze of glory, saving lives, even old age, but being eaten by some alien monster out of a B movie wasn't what he'd imagined.

Another grunt, and he forced himself not to look behind. Markham began to slow, that small imperceptible gait change, to gauge the enemies' location. Ford yanked his jacket and slung him forward, not breaking stride, "Don't look back!" He hollered.

He could see the Jumpers ahead. Both rear hatches were open, one with Zelenka waiting at the controls, the other with…crap, he swore, Major Sheppard and Teyla were hanging on the other one, guns ready. While he was thankful for the cover, he could only hope the Major's aim wasn't impaired because he could tell by the hairs on his back that the Wraith was gaining ground fast.

He saw Markham and Stackhouse break off towards Jumper Two; he lagged behind slightly and hoped that would drag the Wraith after him towards Jumper One, where they were waiting.

"Duck!" Sheppard shouted.

Ford did one better than that, he dove, like a champion diver, and lunged for the Jumper praying he'd make it. He heard the rapid retort of gunfire above his head. Someone grabbed his arms and hauled him in. "Shut it!" He screamed.

Teyla yanked Sheppard back and McKay slammed the control. The rear hatch began to close. They watched anxiously as it slowly made its way shut. The Wraith picked itself up from the floor, it's armor riddled with holes, and a mask of hatred painted on its face, "Major Sheppard!" It snarled.

"Frank?" Sheppard called out with disbelief.

Frank tilted his head, and smiled sickeningly, reaching in with a long arm to grab Sheppard's jacket. Teyla grabbed John, and tried to pry its hand off, meanwhile the hatch continued it's inexorable progress upwards. Frank grinned, his wretched smile the last thing Sheppard saw before the hatch snapped shut, and the Wraith's arm dropped to the floor inside the Jumper. All eyes stared at the offending appendage before Teyla threw her coat over it, and wrapped it up, shoving it in one of the over-head compartments.

"Holy crap." Beckett said, dumbfounded.

"Yeah." McKay agreed.

"Now would be a good time to leave." Sheppard said, hanging on to Teyla.

"Yeah." McKay said again.

"Now." Sheppard repeated.

McKay swallowed, and seemed to shake off the stupor. "I'm going." He said, heading towards the controls. "Ford, on my mark, set off the C-4."

Ford followed McKay towards the flight controls. "Got it."

"Zelenka, on three, mark…one…two…three!" McKay called.

Ford depressed the button, and they felt the Hive ship ripple with the initial explosions. McKay was monitoring the information scrolling on the display. "It's down!" He called.

Sheppard had been eased on to the floor of the Jumper. "Let's go home." He said, exhausted. There wasn't one person who could muster a better statement, McKay included, who nodded, and nudged the Jumper up and guided it out of the Hive ship's body.

They hadn't gotten far when a blinding flare signaled the death throes of the Hive ship. They'd made it. McKay spared a glance at the wreck on the Jumper floor. Now it was going to be a desperate race to save Sheppard. It would be little comfort if they returned home only to lose the Major in the end.

John shivered in the blankets Teyla had tucked around him. He was awake but lost in a myriad of confusing ghosts. He felt his friends around him, inside him, and knew the hunger alone wasn't the only symptom of his change. The Wraith's telepathic abilities were overwhelming his mind and he couldn't sort out the conflicting input. He had felt Frank die, and it hurt him physically. He wanted to sleep and he wasn't sure he wanted to wake up. He let his eyes slide close and prayed for absolution and deliverance. Echoing in his mind as he lost awareness was the simple words from his childhood. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…