Collateral

By AntaresStar

Chapter 2: Problems

Rated PG-13: For some character whumping, blood, ickiness, and language.

Summary: A trade mission to a planet turns into a kidnapping when rebels capture part of the SGA team as collateral for their cause.

Two hours later Sheppard and McKay once again crested the hill that overlooked the village. Dr. Carson Beckett had accompanied them with the promised medicine and young Nurse Jennings.

"Nice little place they got here." Beckett said in his brogue. "It doesn' look like a sick population though, seems like the whole town is out and about."

Rodney turned back and said, "We didn't see any sick people either, but the symptoms described sound like if you had this disease you would want to stay indoors."

"Aye, makes sense."

Ford and Teyla greeted them as they entered the town. "Sir, you missed the big show. About an hour ago a bell rang, and all the villagers went into that building over there." Ford pointed with his P-90 at a large and lavishly ordained structure. "We followed them. It was some kind of religious ceremony. They have all these paintings in there of wraith and they all got on their knees and prayed to them and sang and stuff. It was very, uh, disturbing"

Teyla nodded. "I have seen such ceremonies before. They truly believe the wraith are gods and that sacrificing themselves when the time comes is payment for a peaceful life when the wraith are away."

"My God. We've got to tell 'em the truth." Beckett shook his head.

"They will not accept it. Many outsiders have tried but they do not take kindly to their religion being questioned," Teyla responded.

"Right now let's just worry about getting our food." Sheppard said as Cota approached them with a welcoming smile. "Cota, meet Dr. Beckett and Nurse Jennings. They have the promised medicine and are willing to help you out."

Cota bowed to them, "Any help would be greatly appreciated. The food is being transported to trading hut number three. You may oversee and inspect it there. Doctors, this way please."

"Ford, go with them" Sheppard said. "Teyla, lets go see the goods."

Beckett entered a large, low building filled with about thirthy straw beds and several large pillars. It had a straw roof but was quite cozy and warm. "Is this a hospital of some sort?" He asked Cota as they entered. Ford stayed at the door swinging his weapon away from the beds and leaning against the frame.

"I do not know of what you speak, 'hospital', but this is an area in which our sick come to rest and can be watched by healers without burdening their families." He shook his head sadly. "We believe the wraith have cursed us for not worshipping as devoutly as we have in the past. There are talks that they are not our gods, and some rebellious villagers that refuse to worship them! They have brought this upon all of us."

Beckett exchanged looks with Nurse Jennings, who smiled sadly. She handed a pair of gloves to Carson while snapping some on herself. Beckett approached the nearest bed. "Hello son," he said kindly to the young occupant. "I'm Dr. Beckett, I'm here to help you. How are you feelin'?"

The young boy coughed and rasped out, "I'm Sanly. I don't feel so good."

"Where does it hurt, Sanly?"

"Here." He pressed his hands against his stomach. "I've been sick." Beckett nodded, he could smell the vomit. "My legs ache and I feel hot one moment and freezing the next. I'm really hungry, but when I eat I'm sick." Beckett nodded encouragingly, placing a thermometer in the boy's mouth.

"Hey Sanly, do ya mind if I take a wee bit of your blood? It might be able to help me." The boy nodded and pulled up his shirt. "Ach, no son, not from your chest, I'll just take it from your arm here."

"The Gods would take it from our chest," Sanly mumbled around the thermometer.

"Aye, I'm not a wraith, though." Beckett took what he needed. "You're very brave Sanly." He ruffled the boy's hair and removed the thermometer. "How long have you been sick?" He asked, carefully writing down the boy's temperature on a stat sheet.

Sanly scrunched his eyes up in thought. Cota supplied for him, "Almost a full cycle, um, one of your weeks I believe. The worst is over for him. He caught it from his mother, who had it two cycles and was much sicker."

Beckett nodded and handed the blood vial and stats to Nurse Jennings. "We're gonna take a few more samples from others, then go back to our base and examine them." He put a hand on Sanly's cheek, flashed a brief smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then proceeded to the next bed.

Beckett was feeling guardedly successful. He had brought the samples back to Atlantis for testing and discovered the sickness was a flu-like virus strain. He had formulated a vaccine with the help of his medical staff in less than a day. Like the common cold, there wasn't a cure but sleep and pain medication would relieve some of the symptoms plaguing the Talvins.

Already half of the food supplies had been gated back to Atlantis. It was enough for several months of provisions. The trading had gone off without a hitch.

Carson had returned to the healing house with nurse Jennings, explaining to their healers how to administer the pills and the proper dosages. He and Jennings would later give vaccinations to the healthy villagers.

"So, ya see, one of these is enough for a child, but two are needed for an adult. Aye?" The healers nodded. They were eager to learn. Beckett smiled and handed the oldest of them the pill packets. "The blue ones are for pain, and can be taken twice a day. The white ones are to help patients sleep, and can be taken once a day, but for no more than a week, um, one of your 'cycles'. They are addictive."

The older healer, Valdoz, nodded. "We thank you for your help Dr. Beckett. There is nothing worse then watching our people suffer and being unable to help them."

"We'll fix ya up soon." Beckett and Nurse Jennings began to set up a vaccination table in the corner by the door. They had already administered it to all of the healers and several of the chief tradesmen.

McKay entered with Sheppard and looked curiously around. "Are you sure we're safe from this bug, Carson. I mean, I wouldn't want some alien virus or anything."

"Aye, pretty sure, but there's really no tellin'. I haven' been able to figure out who gets the bugger and who doesn'. I've got me medical team workin' on it back at Atlantis." Beckett sighed tiredly. "But that's why I called ya here. I want to make sure you haven' picked up the virus. I'm just gonna take some blood and send it back to the base with Nurse Jennings."

Sheppard held his arm out to Jennings while Carson extracted Rodney's blood. "Ouch, Carson. couldn't you be a bit more careful!" Rodney exclaimed as a few drops of blood exited a puncture wound.

"Well Rodney, if ya weren' so tense it wouldn' hurt so much. Ya need to relax your muscles next time."

"Well thank you for telling me now. I'll be sure --" Rodney began sarcastically, but was cut off by the sound of people screaming outside. He heard someone yell and a cry for help.

"What the hell?" Sheppard exclaimed yanking his arm from Jennings who had placed a small band-aid over the wound. He hefted his gun while peering out the door. "There're armed Talvins out there." He brought his head in and shut the door firmly. There was no lock. "Sheppard to Ford." He keyed his radio. "Come in Ford. Damn, what's going on?"

Some static and then a rushed answer. "Ford here. Sir we're pinned down. Ten Talvins just entered the square and started shooting with bows and waving swords around. Sir, they've captured all of the outside traders and tied them up and killed two villagers."

"Ford, stay out of site! Is Teyla with you?" Sheppard hissed, motioning for everyone to take cover. Carson squatted behind Sanly's bed with McKay, while Jennings was pulled to the back of the hospital by another healer. They handed her one of their own robes to pull over her uniform. With straight brown hair and dark eyes, she fit right in with the locals.

"I am here Major Sheppard." Teyla whispered. "We will not be captured." And with that the radio clicked off.

"Damn!" Sheppard thumbed the safety off his gun and got behind a pillar. The patients looked at him apprehensively.

The older healer, Valdoz, whispered to Sheppard. "These are the rebels we have spoken of. They do not believe the wraith are their gods. They refuse to worship and have taken to violent ways. They have brought this sickness upon us." More shouting from outside, closer this time.

"Did you ever consider they may be right?" Sheppard said angrily. "Will they come in here?"

"I do not know. They have never attacked the village like this. It was always during night against smaller towns and unsuspecting wanderers, never off-worlders. I am sorry, we should have warned you." Valdoz shook his head. "We will try to protect you." He handed Sheppard a robe to slip on but it was no use. With his black, spiky hair and light eyes he wouldn't look like a local no matter what he was wearing.

"Dr. Beckett, are they going to hurt us?" Sanly whimpered. Sheppard threw his robe to Rodney and told him to put it on.

"Not if I can help it lad. Oh crap!" Carson exclaimed as the boy promptly turned sideways and vomited. Rodney leapt back like fire had caught to the bed, his face screwed up, backing away from the offending mess and holding the robe out like a shield.

"Shh, its ok, son, just breath nice and slow." The boy nodded miserably as Carson grabbed the robe and wiped Sanly's mouth with it.

At that moment the door flew open and two Talvin rebels entered the room, swords raised. McKay looked at them like a deer caught in the headlights; he was out in the open. They grinned at each other, dark eyes glinting and greasy brown hair pulled back in ponytails. The larger one stepped forward and grabbed McKay roughly by the arm. "You're coming with us, don't make us hurt you." He raised the sword, as though hoping he might have to.

Rodney looked from one to the other. "Listen I don't know what you think but-" he was cut off when the smaller one lunged forward and backhanded him viciously across his face. The smack echoed in the silent hospital like a gunshot. Rodney grunted and lifted a hand to his cheek.

Carson was still bending protectively over Sanly, despite Sheppard's gesticulations to get down. The smaller rebel caught sight of him and strode over, sword glinting. "You too. You're a foreigner if I ever saw one!" He said, studying Carson's strikingly blue eyes and unshaven face. He grabbed Beckett by an arm and dragged him next to Rodney. "Are there any more of you around? Huh?" He asked Beckett.

"No, just me and him. Look we don' want trouble-"

The rebel smiled. "Good for you. We do."

At that moment Sheppard's P-90 let loose a bullet that nailed the larger rebel holding McKay. Rodney shouted and fell to the floor as his captor collapsed. The smaller rebel pulled Beckett protectively in front of him, sword raised to the doctor's neck. Everyone froze.

"He dies if you try anything else stupid." As if to make a point the insurgent pushed his sword into Carson's neck. A small sliver of blood pooled in the indentation, than trickled leisurely down onto the collar of his beige shirt. Carson's breath hitched but he remained absolutely still, eyes wide. Rodney looked from Sheppard to the rebel, breathing quickly.

"I need some help in here! In the healing house!" The rebel cried. A few moment later and two more entered. "Take him." He pointed at Rodney who was still on the floor. They hefted him up roughly. "And him." He glared at Sheppard.

Sheppard raised his weapon warningly. "How about you back off or get shot. Let us go and no one else gets killed."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible." Said a tall Talvin mockingly. "You come or he dies." He gestured at McKay. Sheppard's gun wavered from one rebel to the next, unsure of what to do.

A/N More to come, Please review!