Into the Woods

Chapter Fourteen: Nothing's Quite So Clear Now

Teyla took charge, for which John was grateful. She got them out of the tree and over to the Stargate, dialed Atlantis and pushed them through. She explained the situation to Weir in short, succinct phrases, then instructed Markham and two other soldiers to return through the Stargate with C4 to clear some of the trees so the Puddle Jumper could get through. He watched her calm efficiency through a haze of almost crippling anxiety.

Before he could voice his intention to return with the rescue team, he and Serena were being hustled off to the infirmary by a couple of nurses. He broke away from the medics and stalked back to the 'gate, swearing loudly.

At a nod from Carson, who was loading a backboard into the Jumper that Stackhouse had already brought down to hover in front of the Stargate, the medics caught him and he felt the prick of a needle in his arm. A moment later, a warmth seemed to flood his veins and he forgot why he wanted to go back…

"Now that's settled, let's get a move on," Carson told Teyla as they watched the pliant, semi-conscious Major being guided in the direction of the infirmary.

As soon as Markham radioed back to tell them that the Puddle Jumper could clear the other side of the Stargate, they left, with Stackhouse piloting, Teyla to guide them, Beckett and his assistant Doctor Allingham in the back with the emergency medical kit. They stopped briefly to pick up Markham's team and sped on. The hike of several hours took only minutes in the Puddle Jumper.

The scene of destruction that awaited them made Teyla's heart sink. A large area around the door of the Ancient outpost was now nothing but rubble and broken support beams, and most of the huge rock seemed to have cracked and sunk into the ground.

"Dear God," Carson breathed as Stackhouse set the Jumper down as close as he could. "Rodney was in this?"

"I believe so, Doctor Beckett," Teyla replied. She fought back her tears – they wouldn't help right now. "We must be cautious, he said there was Wraith outside the door."

The soldiers exited the Jumper first, and after a brief search spotted two Wraith bodies, torn and savaged and extremely dead.

A wet, rattling sound caught their attention as they picked their way through the ruined structure. Teyla found it's source first, and beckoned the others to her.

Rodney had been partially shielded by a shattered control console, but still lay trapped under a mound of debris. He breathed in shallow, choking gasps, blood bubbling from his mouth. The radio lay next to his right hand, which he had somehow managed to free, although the skin was badly scraped. His eyes were open, and when Carson knelt beside him and felt for his pulse, he flinched.

"Rodney?" Beckett asked gently as the others began to carefully unearth him. "Can you hear me?"

"Cars-" he began, and choked. A bloody froth spilled over his lips.

"Hurry!" Carson ordered, pulling equipment from his pack. Before long, they had cleared the debris and he had the injured man hooked up to an IV. They carefully lifted him so Carson could slide the backboard underneath. As soon as Rodney was strapped down, they loaded him into the Puddle Jumper and took off.

He was supposed to be somewhere. There was something extremely important that he was supposed to be doing, but he couldn't recall what it was. Something about finding…someone. Finding…Rodney. He needed to find Rodney, needed to rescue…

Sheppard sat straight up in the infirmary bed, and nearly fell right back down as a stabbing pain caught him behind the eyes. He closed them against the bright lights and raised his hands to cradle his throbbing head…or rather, raised one hand, since the arm that had been bitten so many hours before was strapped to his chest.

"Water?"

He looked up to find Serena sitting beside his bed. He was in the infirmary. Again.

"Do you want some water?" she asked again.

He tried to speak, found his mouth dry and gritty, and accepted the glass she awkwardly offered with her left hand. Her right arm was bandaged and she held it carefully away from her body.

"Where's Rodney?" he asked as soon as he found his voice. "Is he – "

She smiled, but looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. "He's alive. Beckett and Allingham have had him in surgery for hours, but they said they think he'll pull through."

All the strength seemed to drain out of him, and he couldn't sit upright any longer. He fell back against the pillow and the throbbing in his head receded.

"You're sure?" She nodded. "What happened?"

"They aren't sure. Teyla said the outpost looks like a bomb went off somewhere near the door. The rock collapsed on top of him. He had internal bleeding, a broken collarbone and broken ribs. One of his lungs collapsed. Beckett said it could have been a lot worse. He escaped the full force of the explosion. There were two more Wraith there, but they were dead. And not from the explosion, whatever caused it. They looked like the ones at the Stargate after Rodney's Komodo wolves got them."

"But he's going to be okay?" John desperately needed that reassurance.

She nodded. "He was still conscious when they found him. Beckett said that's a good sign."

A few minutes later, when they had both regained their composure, she said firmly, "He's changed a lot since he met you. He's not the man I married…or the one I divorced. I used to think we might try again some day, but I don't think that's possible anymore. I hope you figure out what you feel for Rodney, Major Sheppard. I don't want to see him hurt."

"Do you…" he wasn't sure he even knew what he wanted to ask, much less what he wanted to do. "Do you think I have a chance? With him, I mean?"

"I think so. I even kind of hope so." She left, and he closed his eyes to ponder that possibility. A chance…with Rodney. Was that really what he wanted?

TBC