TITLE: What is Needed Most part 10

AUTHOR: sablecain

DISCLAIMER: See part 1

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Part 10

Sheppard pressed his fingers tightly against McKay's neck, searching frantically for a pulse. He couldn't find it. "Come on, McKay," he demanded. This wasn't happening. This was not going to happen. He was not going to let Rodney die. His eyes swept over McKay's face, taking in the pale stillness of his features, lingering on the dark bruise and split lip, the bleeding cut stretching from Rodney's eyebrow to his ear and the drying line of tears. He was going to kill Kolya.

"Come on, Rodney," he pleaded again, moving his fingers, searching and finally…there. He found it, the soft flutter of life…struggling. "Damn it!" He keyed his radio, leaving the channel open. "Beckett, I need you. Now!"

"I can't get to you, Major. What's wrong?" Carson answered immediately.

"What do you mean you can't get to me?"

"We are trapped by enemy fire, Major," Teyla reported. "It will take us time to get past them."

John heard Lt. Ford enter the cavern behind him. "Major?" Aiden questioned.

"Go back and get Beckett," Sheppard ordered, his eyes roaming over Rodney again, checking for any other injuries and settling on the growing pool of blood beside him. "Shit. Hurry!" he yelled, trying to find where the blood was coming from.

McKay was half-curled into a fetal position, twisted awkwardly as if he'd tried to move and just didn't have the strength to see it through. Sheppard was afraid to move him, but knew he had to find the source and stop the bleeding. Gently, but quickly he turned Rodney all the way over onto his back.

"Oh God, McKay." He fumbled for the field dressing packed in his vest, shaking it loose and pressing it down on the wound. Rodney moaned, struggling against the renewed pain.

"Good, McKay. Come on. Fight me, damn it, fight! Beckett where are you?" he yelled, his helplessness feeding his rage.

"I'm coming as fast as I can!" Carson shouted back. "Tell me what's wrong with Rodney."

John took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "He's been shot…in the side. He's lost a lot of blood already."

"Is he conscious?"

"No, not really. He moaned once."

"Keep pressure on the wound."

"I'm doing that!" John yelled.

The gunfire on Carson's end of the conversation increased suddenly. "Is the bullet still in him? Where's he hit?" Beckett's voice was thick with worry.

"Ah…" John tried to focus. "His side, just above his hip, along his waistline and," Carefully he rolled Rodney toward him, checking his back. Blood seeped between his fingers. "Crap. It must have gone straight through, there's an exit wound."

"Get pressure on it, too." Carson ordered.

"With what?" John scowled, trying to think. He didn't have a pack, they'd left them in the jumpers so they could move easier and faster through the forest. Carson was the only one carrying his. Quickly, John supported Rodney against his legs, letting go just long enough to undo his vest, slipping it off and then peeling off his shirt. Wadding it, he clamped the black cloth against McKay's back and rolled him down onto it, applying pressure again to the entry wound.

Rodney's eyes shot open and he gasped loudly, surprising Sheppard. "Easy, McKay. I've got you," John tried to reassure as Rodney's eyes darted wildly. John could read the panic, fear and pain there.

Rodney struggled. "No," he rasped, pleadingly. "Stop, please."

"I have to, McKay. We need to stop the bleeding. You're gonna be okay."

Rodney heard Sheppard's voice but continued to struggle, weakly. It was Kolya who'd pinned him to the ground…not John. John wasn't here. His confused thoughts swarmed. Kolya had left him.

"Talk to me," Sheppard ordered, his concern growing. Rodney seemed to lose more color, as his struggling grew weaker.

"You're not real," McKay whispered.

"Like hell I'm not," John argued. "Beckett?" The gunfire had ceased.

"We're coming." Carson sounded breathless, like he was running.

Rodney stirred beneath Sheppard's hands, groaning. Tears filled his eyes again.

"Beckett's coming," John told him gently.

"You're not here." McKay shook his head, his words barely audible. "Dying alone," he managed.

"You are not!" John yelled. "Look at me, Rodney."

Rodney closed his eyes.

"No." John shook him slightly, eliciting a pain-filled gasp. "Open your eyes, McKay."

Rodney's eyes opened sluggishly, still not seeing clearly. "I screwed up," he muttered, his voice sounding stronger.

"No you didn't." John adjusted his hand on Rodney's side, trying not to think about the warm, sticky blood coating it. "We got your signal just fine. Led us right to you."

"Stupid idea," Rodney protested. "Don't even know where I am."

"We found you. We're here." John glanced over his shoulder, willing Carson to hurry.

"Let you down. I always let you down." Rodney went on, deliriously. "Didn't mean to…I, I, didn't mean it. Don't leave me, please…"

"Damn." John's head dropped. What the hell was going on in McKay's head? What had Kolya done to him? "I'm here, Rodney. I'm not going anywhere without you," he said without looking up.

Rodney's breathing hitched. "Major?"

John's head snapped up. "You with me?"

"You came."

Sheppard was stunned by the surprise in McKay's voice. "Hell yeah I came."

"Hurts." McKay tried to shift from under John's hands.

"Be still." John smiled weakly. "You are a stubborn, stubborn man."

Rodney laughed shortly then hissed in pain. His eyes closed again.

"Stay with me, McKay."

"You came," Rodney repeated as his voice faded.

"Rodney? John panicked. "Beckett!"

"I'm here. I'm here!" Carson came running into the cavern, Teyla and Ford with him.

"Thank God." Sheppard nodded to McKay. "He's been in and out, mostly delirious,but was clear for a second. Knew who I was."

Carson nodded, dropping to his knees and shrugging off his backpack. He opened it quickly, pulling out packets of sterile gauze bandages. "Open this and put it on top of that dressing," he indicated the soaked field dressing. "Keep pressure on it, hard," he ordered. "Teyla, I need your help." He handed her another packet without waiting for an answer. "Open that."

With fast, sure hands, Beckett opened a package himself. "Help me roll him." Carefully, the three rolled Rodney onto his good side. Carson added his dressing and Teyla's to the shirt pressed against McKay's back. "Grab me that," he barked instructions, concentrating only on Rodney. He grabbed McKay's wrist as Teyla and John gently resettled the scientist.

John watched the concern deepen on Carson's face.

"Get his feet up on something." Carson motioned for Sheppard to do that while he took over applying pressure. "He's going into shock, I'm afraid." His eyes swept over McKay, settling on his abused face. "Teyla, grab another pack of gauze. See if you can clean up that cut." He looked at John who was propping McKay's legs up on the discarded pack he'd found by the ancient device. "Good, that's good." He lifted his hands, checking if any fresh blood had oozed through the top layer of gauze. "The good news is, from where the wound is situated…it looks like it caught his flank. Lots of skin and muscle. I'll know more after I can do a real exam."

"And the bad news?" John swallowed the lump growing in his throat.

"He's lost an awful lot of blood and I don't know what other injuries he's got." He looked at Teyla. "How's he doing, lass?"

"The cut is rather shallow, but it continues to bleed." She didn't look up from gently pressing the dressing against Rodney's temple. "He has not stirred."

"We need to get him home." Beckett looked at John. "Now."