"So then he told us that about a dozen people had come forward with the same testimony - they'd seen Rodney hanging around this guy's booth until he thought no one was looking, and then he went in there and rigged the device to explode."
Elizabeth stared at Major Sheppard in shock. "For what possible reason?" she asked.
"According to this Ronas guy, because if we couldn't have it, nobody could," Sheppard answered, though he didn't seem to buy it for one second.
"That's ridiculous... Rodney would never think like that."
"I know. That's what I said." Sheppard sighed. "Ronas seemed pretty confident that he'd got the right guy, though. There was no talking him out of it. Trust me, we tried. He wouldn't listen to a word we said; he just told us that if we didn't high tail it off his planet, we'd be arrested, too, for aiding and abetting. I figured we'd stand a better chance of getting him out of there if we came back here and got a rescue party together."
Elizabeth looked around the table at the crestfallen faces of Lt. Ford and Teyla. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd done everything they could, and that they were feeling horribly guilty for leaving their friend and teammate behind even if it was only temporary.
"Ronas asked us whether we could verify Dr. McKay's location during the time the witnesses say that he was hanging around Jassin's booth," Teyla said quietly. "We could not do so, though I do not believe he was causing trouble."
"He was separated from us for a long time," Lt. Ford said with great regret in his tone.
"Did he not say something about being held back from following us?" Teyla said. "It sounds as though they were planning this from the moment we arrived."
"That's insane," Sheppard said. "Why would they want to do that? How could they even arrange that so quickly? Who the hell are those people!"
"Whoever they are," Elizabeth said, "I don't want Rodney to be with them for one moment longer than is absolutely necessary. I'll authorize any kind of rescue effort you feel is needed, Major, though I do ask that you spare as many lives as possible."
Major Sheppard cocked his eyebrow at her. "As many lives as possible?" he repeated. "You mean..."
"If they arranged this whole thing, as it sounds as though they have, I would consider that an act of war, wouldn't you?"
He blinked and looked around at his teammates in confusion. "I... yeah. I just didn't think you would."
"Get him out of there, Major," Elizabeth said as she rose to her feet. "Whatever it takes."
She could feel everyone's eyes on her back as she walked out of the room and into her office, so she tried to act as calm and in control as possible until she was out of their sight. Once in her office, she sat down at her desk, leaned her elbows on the surface, and rubbed her face with her hands.
Their description of the treatment Rodney was receiving had shaken her to the core. He wasn't a military man, and hadn't had the kind of training someone like Major Sheppard would have had in how to deal with these kinds of situations. She couldn't begin to imagine how terrified he must be right now, and how abandoned he must feel.
There was no way they could rescue him fast enough to suit her. She only wished she could come up with a good enough reason to go along.
Clang.
The sudden sound of metal-on-metal jerked Rodney back to consciousness. Once the pounding in his head registered to his senses, however, he wished he were still asleep.
Clang.
The sound was louder this time. He could only assume that was a bad thing.
Clang.
Yup, definitely getting louder. Rodney raised his head a little to try to look around, but the room, or wherever he was, was in complete darkness.
Clang.
Rodney swallowed convulsively as he realized what the noises sounded like - metal doors either opening or closing.
Clang. Thump.
That sounded suspiciously like something had been moved away from his own door. That meant that...
Creak.
Someone was coming for him.
The second that thought appeared in his mind, someone burst into the room and marched straight over to him. Rodney could see from the light streaming in through the open doorway that he was in some kind of cell, laying on the floor against the far wall. There didn't seem to be any furniture or anything in the little room, aside from what he supposed was a urinal attached to one wall.
Not that he got much of a chance to look around. As soon as the person reached him, he took hold of Rodney's arms and yanked him up onto his feet. "Walk," he said in a gruff, throaty voice, shoving Rodney towards the door.
"Where are you taking me?" Rodney asked, trying to push his panic back down as he felt it bubbling up in his chest and threatening to take control of him. "What's happening?"
"Silence!" the man shouted, cuffing Rodney's ear. "Move."
Rodney flinched at the rough treatment, but did as he was told. He may not have received a straight answer, but he could tell for sure that wherever he was going, something bad was going to happen there.
He'd never been a praying man, but he quickly sent up a plea for mercy to whoever might be listening just in case. He didn't doubt that rescue was on the way. He just wished they'd hurry up and arrive already.
"Doc!"
Carson looked up to see Major Sheppard jogging into the infirmary. "What can I do for you, Major?" he asked as he put down his paperwork and approached the man.
"First I guess I should let you know that Rodney's been taken and thrown into an alien prison," the major said. His tone sounded almost sarcastic, but Carson could see the anxiety in his eyes. That didn't fill him with much confidence.
"He what? How did that happen?"
"Long story, Doc," Major Sheppard replied. "I'm heading up a rescue team that'll be leaving any minute, but... I have a slight problem."
"What is it?"
"I've had a killer headache all day," he said, rubbing his forehead unconsciously as he spoke. "Anything you can give me that'll just numb the pain without any side effects?"
Carson's mind started working at top speed then, and within two seconds he knew exactly what to give him. He hurried over to the medicine closet to get it. "Why didn't you tell me this before you went off on the mission?" he asked as he picked up the correct bottle.
"I thought I could handle it," Major Sheppard replied. "I was handling it, until I stepped through the Stargate. Besides, the supplies are getting scarce. I don't want to take anything unless it's absolutely necessary."
Carson fetched him a cup of water and handed it to him along with the pills. He watched him in concern as he swallowed them down. "It's bad enough now that painkillers are absolutely necessary?" he asked.
Major Sheppard shook his head and handed him the empty cup. "It's actually better than it was this morning," he said. "I just feel like this whole thing was my fault for not being on my toes. If I'm going back there, I have to be one hundred percent." He gave Carson a slight slap on the shoulder and turned to go. "Thanks, Doc. I'll be back with Rodney before you know it."
"Good luck, Major," Carson called after him.
"Oh, and Doc?" Major Sheppard stopped at the door, looking somewhat uncomfortable about whatever he was about to say. "They, uh... I kinda got the impression that... these people don't seem to buy the theory that prisoners deserve any kind of human rights, if you know what I mean."
Carson felt his face blanch at the thought. "You mean, they're likely to have beaten him?"
"Yeah. We saw him take a few hits while we were still there, so I doubt they'd stop once they get him into the prison. I'm just... hoping that's all they'll do," he added significantly.
Carson nodded in understanding. "I'll be ready." He watched in stunned silence as Major Sheppard hurried out of the room. Images of Rodney coming back beaten and broken flooded into his mind, and it made his stomach turn. He'd seen the way Rodney had reacted to a stab wound to his arm - how would he ever handle ruthless beatings and torture? He shuddered at the thought.
He gave himself a mental shake when he realized how much he was allowing this news to upset him. Rodney had become a good friend to him since they'd met in Antarctica, but even so, he had to keep his head if he was going to be any good to Rodney if or when he did come home in a bad way.
With that thought in mind, he pulled himself together and got back to work. He couldn't help but wonder, though, just what Rodney was going through all alone in that alien prison.