Strange Bedfellows

A/N: Ha!The update wasn't late after all.AndI got over my writer's block! Hooray! So much so, in fact, that my fingers kept on typing and I ended up with an extra chapter. And after I write the last one, which will be soon, the updates will come quicker. I have to get this thing posted before I go on vacation to Chicago. Otherwise, you guys will kill me. :)

Thanks for the reviews once again! So here it is, the last part of the climax. Hope it was all worth while. Oh, and my beta had offically abandoned me, so any mistakes are mine. I apologize.

Chapter 21: Extraction

There was blackness everywhere. John felt nothing; it was like an black emptiness in and around him. He opened his eyes to see, but there was nothing to look at. Did he even have any eyes anyway? He couldn't feel his body, that was for sure. As he instinctively tried to suck in a lungful of oxygen, Sheppard realized there was no air to suck in. It was like a vacuum, an endless vacuum to which there was no end or beginning.

Hey…. This is kind of nice, he thought, suddenly becoming more comfortable. Once you get over the whole no air thing. He could get used to this. No worries, no daily chores, no exertion, no pain. Hadn't he practically been on the verge of dying a second ago? Where was he anyway?

Then there was an unexpected burst of white light - a searing, bright flash. It made him uncomfortable; it slightly hurt even. But just as soon as it had come, the mysterious flash was gone and he was back floating in the black void.

Several seconds later, it came again, only stronger this time. Ow! Hey, stop that! It shocked his body like a jolt of electricity through his entire system. John tried to scream, but no sound escaped his throat. He was at the mercy of whatever that thing was. The only thing he could come up with wasthat aWraith Stunner was firing at him.

After a moment of rest, it happened a third and final time. It was stronger than ever. Suddenly, he remembered that this sensation was oddly familiar - excruciating, but familiar. But did that mean a Wraith Stunner or something else all together?

Suddenly, just like that, it was over. Blackness consumed him once more, but he felt grounded this time. Just as after the Wraith had fed upon him, he was completely drained… but different. It didn't matter. For now, he was content with just resting, just letting go.


The infirmary was bustling with activity. Doctors and nurses darted about in nervous tension as orders from Doctor Beckett were shouted across the room with authority. Several Marines occupied the hospital beds, some sitting while others lied down, and all were being attended to by medical professionals. The sounds of carts being hastily wheeled through the room and various machines beeping did nothing to calm the chaos.

But Dr. Elizabeth Weir neither saw nor heard any of it. From her position seated on a chair in the corner of the room, her eyes remained fixed on one particular hospital bed, as they had been for a while now. The team had returned from Klaan just over two hours ago following a brutal extraction, and even after they had completed a brief medical exam on her - at Carson's insistence - Elizabeth had refused to leave the infirmary. The only reason she wasn't at his side was because they had already shooed her away.

She couldn't see the occupant due to the numerous medical personnel huddled around the bed, all working on saving the man's life. But she didn't need to see him to know what kind of state he was in. She had seen enough when they had went back for him. He had been in bad shape, and his condition had only deteriorated since.

-Flashback-

Elizabeth saw John's eyes take on a glassy quality before he fell forward to the ground. She tried to reach his side before he impacted with the cell's floor, but she wasn't fast enough.

After sidestepping Tiny's lifeless body, she reached him and noticed with a sharp intake of breath that he was absolutely still. Elizabeth didn't think she had ever seen anything that completely and utterly motionless in her life. Cautiously, she reached a hand out to turn him over, but paused, afraid of what she might find. Determination, however, at getting him home overtook her and she rolled John to his back.

Elizabeth gasped at the sight. This was the first time she had really seen him since she had stepped through the Gate five days ago. He had looked bad then, and from what she had glimpsed from the shadows seconds ago he had gotten much worse. But now, up close, she could see what he had gone through. More cuts and bruises than she could count lined his pallid, sweat-sheened face; his left eye was black and swollen shut; blood, dirt, and sweat caked his hair; his lip was split - and that was only what she could see. She could only imagine what else had been done to him.

"John? John, can you hear me?" she beckoned.

There was no answer. His eyes remained shut and his body unmoving.

"Please, John. Wake up." Now she was starting to get nervous; her voice was strained. Noticing once more the bloody hand print on his chest, she traced her finger lightly along the mark. If he was fed upon, why hadn't he aged? That was a mystery that could be solved later; there were more important things to worry about now.

Leaning her head down to his chest, Elizabeth listened for his heartbeat. It was there - faint, but there. She then sat up and observed him, watching for the rise and fall of his ribcage that would tell her he was breathing. She waited what seem like an eternity, eyes glued to his torso, afraid even to blink for fear that she would miss him inhale. And then it came, so small that she almost didn't catch it: a shallow, frail breath that made Elizabeth exhale breath of her own she did not even realize she was holding.

Hang in there, she willed him as she reached for her radio. "Lt. Ford, this is in." Her words were calm, completely belying the anxiety she felt inside.

"This is Ford!" came the reply over the radio. Aiden had to shout over the gunfire to be heard. Luckily, the battle had died down somewhat over the past several minutes. Number Two had been relatively easy to take care of once Teyla had planted two bullets in his head. The six Wraith to their front had been cut down to three, plus the seemingly impervious pair behind them. Those two were clever and tough - a unfortunate combination for Aiden and his team.

"Is the coast still clear outside Jumper?" he asked. "Things are pretty wild in here, ma'am, so once we get the major we'll be coming in hot."

Elizabeth sighed. She could tell this was not going to go well. "I'm not in the Jumper. I'm in the outpost, in a holding cell." She paused and waited for an answer.

There was none. Then, after several seconds of silence, "You're what! Where?"

"You heard me, Lieutenant." She didn't have time for this. If Ford didn't like it, that was too damn bad. "Major Sheppard is here with me. He's unconscious but is breathing and has a weak pulse. Look, Aiden… he's in pretty bad shape. If we don't get him out of here soon-"

"Understood, ma'am. Standby." She didn't need to say anymore. In fact, Ford didn't want her to say anymore, didn't want her to say what might happen. He didn't even want to think about it. Right now, he had to quickly come up with an exit strategy.

While the lieutenant strategized, Elizabeth took the time to further examine John. The bruises on his ribs she had seen before had grown and darkened; the makeshift bandage around his arm was soaked through with blood, and she could see a yellow substance brimming the edge of it - an indication of a sure infection. Overall, he looked exhausted, beaten, and frail; he was a shell of his former self. Suddenly she wished for the cocky flyboy who always deviated from orders or questioned her instructions.

A sudden crackle on the radio brought her out of her stupor. "Okay, ma'am, we have a plan in place but it's going to be a little… tricky."

Uh-oh. She didn't like the sound of 'tricky.'

"Do you think you can move Major Sheppard?"

"Maybe… if I have to. But there's no way I can make it all the way back to you with him. You'll have to meet us somewhere."

There was a pause. "All right, standby."

Goddammit, she thought, rolling her eyes. There was no time for another 'standby.' They had to move and they had to move now.

"Okay, ma'am, here's the deal. Get the yourself and the major as close to us as you can. We'll send some men down the first hallway and hopefully we'll be able to pick you up on the life signs detector. Stay in radio contact. Then, we'll meet up, rendezvous back with the rest of the team, and leave."

"Sounds like a plan, Lieutenant," she responded. Elizabeth didn't ask how Ford's team were going to get past the Wraith.


Ford sighed. He didn't know how the hell they were going to get past the Wraith. They didn't need to get to the exit, just back to the first corridor for now. His team would hold that position while he and some of his men set off to meet up with Dr. Weir. Then they would blow this Popsicle stand.

"Stackhouse, how many grenades do we have left?" he asked.

"By my count, two, sir," the sergeant responded.

"Two?" Stackhouse nodded. "That's it?" Again, the sergeant nodded. Grenades had been the only thing that knocked the Wraith down for a good long while. What machine guns did in almost an entire clip, one grenade could take care of. And apparently, they had used up most of their stock. Shit. Two grenades. Five Wraith. This day sucks, Ford concluded. No, you know what? This whole month sucks. I'm taking a vacation when we get back.

"Okay, team, listen up," he began. "We only have two grenades left. So on my mark, Porter, you throw one at the three Wraith at out twelve o'clock. Webber, chuck the other at the pair on our tail. We'll have to time it just right, because after the second grenade goes off, we're making a mad dash to that first corridor over there. Me, Stranahan, and McKay will be going to get the major and Dr. Weir while the rest of you hold the fort. Questions?"

As before, there were none, so the team went ahead with the plan. On Ford's signal, two grenades were thrown in opposite directions. As soon as they exploded several seconds later, the team members ran for all they were worth, guns blazing, right past the pair of Wraith that had been at their six for the majority of the battle. Luckily, the creatures were too stunned to react and the team was able to get in place before Stunners were raised once more and firing.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Ford led McKay and Stranahan down the corridor. The sounds of the scuffle died away the deeper into the outpost they traveled. Ford stopped and regular intervals, but only briefly each time, to place more C4 charges on the walls.

With the aid of McKay's life signs detector, the trio was able to locate Dr. Weir and Major Sheppard within ten minutes. As soon as they had spotted Elizabeth dragging John's body down the hallway, all three had broken into a sprint. Ford reached them first and instantly dropped to his knees to check on his CO. Dr. Weir had been right; he did look awful. In fact, if Elizabeth hadn't told him otherwise, Ford would have believed the major dead.

He checked the man's pulse and didn't like the results he received. Whatever poise was left in Ford's body vanished and concern for hid friend's well-being took over. "Major, can you hear me?"

McKay watched on in silence, despondency and disbelief marring his face. He never thought it would be this bad. He had seen Sheppard in tight spots before, and he always managed to pull himself out of them, one way or another. This time would be no different, right? He'd pull through, wouldn't he? Simply looking at the major made McKay think otherwise. The pilot looked liked he'd been ran over by a truck and hauled behind a stampede of horses. And despite John's tendency at beating the odds, Rodney didn't know if anyone could make it out of this one.

All of the lieutenant's attempts at rousing his superior were met with failure. They couldn't afford to linger any longer. "Stackhouse, this is Ford. Be advised: we have Dr. Weir and Major Sheppard with us and are making our way to your position. ETA: five minutes."

"Understood, Lieutenant. We'll be ready for you."

Despite the dead weight of the major, who was being carried between Stranahan and Ford, they were able to make good time. Rodney attributed that to the desperation of their situation. It was his job to watch the life signs detector, keeping an eye out for any unwanted company, but he found his thoughts wandering. What if Sheppard doesn't make it? What if none of us make it? He resisted every fiber of his being, all telling him to calculate the odds of their survival. McKay was sure he wouldn't like the answer he got.

Rodney noticed Elizabeth's unusual silence during the trek back. She seemed distant, staring at the unconscious body being carried in front of her. She had not uttered a word since they had met up.

Finally, they reached the rest of the team back at the entrance of the corridor. They were all busy returning fire to the now four Wraith in front of them. When Ford and Stranahan laid down the major, however, Teyla stopped firing out of sheer shock at the man's condition. Her once spirited CO now seemed sapped of all life. Noticing the Wraith palm print on his chest, she brought her P-90 up with renewed purpose and let rip with an extended burst of fire until her clip was empty.

Ford's head swam. He needed to think of a way to get themselves out of the outpost. There was the exit, off to their left onlyabout ten meters away. It might as well been ten kilometers away, because once they stepped out into the open, they were toast. And they were out of grenades, too. Peachy, he thought.

"Everyone, listen up. When I give the word, I want you to fire everything you've got at the remaining four Wraith. Lay down enough cover fire for Stackhouse and Webber to carry the major back to the Jumper. Stackhouse, when you reach the Jumper, get it up and running immediately."

"Yes, sir." Stackhouse shifted to John's side and prepared him to move.

Lieutenant Ford addressed the rest of his team. "Once they're through the exit, everyone else fall back, McKay and Dr. Weir first. And no one stops firing, got it?" They all nodded.

Aiden remembered he had some extra C4 he hadn't used. Yet. Waiting until the Wraith had taken a momentary pause in firing their Stunners, he stood up and threw the explosives as far as he could toward the Wraith's position. It landed several feet from the creatures.

Once he was sure everything was good to go, he gave the signal. The Marines sprang up as one from behind cover and fired for all they were worth at their enemy, causing the four Wraith to scramble for safety. One was hit and dropped to the floor.

Using the team's cover fire as a shield, Stackhouse and Webber hurriedly carried John through the exit and out to the Puddle Jumper.

"Reload!" Ford yelled, and the remaining members of the team dropped back down and reloaded their weapons. The Wraith took the opportunity to return fire. They did not ease up, keeping the humans ducked behind the walls of the corridor and outcroppings.

"Sir, this is Stackhouse," came a voice over the radio. "We have reached the Puddle Jumper and I've brought it online, but… sir, the major's in pretty bad shape." A pause. "Webber can't find a pulse."

Aiden understood the implication. If they didn't leave now, Sheppard would die. "Understood. We're coming out now."

The Wraith continued to pepper their location with blasts from their Stunners. They weren't giving up their prized prisoner without a fight. Ford would have liked to wait until the enemy took a break in firing, but they simply couldn't afford to. Time was a luxury they didn't have. On his order, the Marines stood up from their concealed positions once more and began their coordinated assault. They weren't as lucky as last time, however. Porter was immediately hit with a Stunner blast to the chest. He went down almost as soon as he had stood up.

While the Wraith were distracted, the civilians, Drs. McKay and Weir, ran for the exit as Ford had ordered. Once outside, they headed for the Jumper Stackhouse had now uncloaked.

Inside, Ford had seen McKay and Dr. Weir make it out safely and began the move his team out. A fellow Marine grabbed Porter and dragged him outside. Two down, three to go.

While Ford was looking at the open doorway, he caught the image of a blue beam heading straight for his head out of the corner of his eye. His instincts and fast reflexes allowed him to duck in time, but the Marine behind him wasn't so lucky. The Stunner blast caught him in the shoulder and knocked him to the ground.

Jesus Christ, this is insane, Aiden thought. He and the other remaining Marine were able to pick up their fallen comrade and retreat through the exit, firing a their foe all the while. Once the sunlight hit them, however, they turned and ran for the ship.

Just when they thought they were home free, however, the hairs on the back of Aiden's neck stood on end. The two teammates heard the blasts before they saw them shoot past. The Stunners' beams were so close they could feel their wake. As Webber and Stackhouse covered for them from the Jumper, Ford and the other Marine continued to run while they carried their unconscious teammate between them until they had reached the ramp of the ship.

"Let's get this thing in the air!" Aiden yelled between breaths. Sergeant Stackhouse was already ahead of him, flicking switches in the forward compartment even before he had sat down. The rear hatch closed and up they rose, all team members present and accounted for. When they were a good enough distance in the air, Ford took extreme pleasure in pressing a button on his handheld detonator unit. A split second later, all the C4 charges they had planted inside the outpost exploded in one giant eruption, engulfing the entire structure in flames. If there had been any Klaans or Wraith still inside, they were dead for certain now.

As the Jumper pulled away, Stackhouse fired two drones at the cluster of three Wraith who had chased them outside. That was the last of them.

Ford ordered Stackhouse to fly at full speed back to the Gate. They would be needing every extra second. The lieutenant walked over to check on his CO, who had been laid down on the floor in the rear compartment. Webber had reported no pulse earlier, but Aiden double checked, just in case. He searched for the carotid artery for a good long while before he finally found what he was looking for. A pulse was there, but it was even weaker than before. He could see why Webber had missed it. Hang in there, Major. Almost home….

McKay and Teyla keptwatch over their friend. There was nothing more they could do but wait and hope. Teyla sent a silent prayer to the Ancestors, pleading with them to save the man who had given her people so much faith.

The second they were within range of the Stargate, Ford dialed Atlantis's address and entered his IDC, practically jamming the buttons with the force he pressed them with.

"Jumper Three, this is Atlantis," Grodin's voice came over the radio. "We have lowered the shield; you are clear to come through."

"Copy that, Atlantis," Ford replied, not hiding his eagerness to return home. "We're going to need a full medical team in the Jumper bay. We have three wounded on board, one serious."

"Understood, Lieutenant."

"And tell Beckett-"

"Lieutenant!" A voice from the rear compartment cut him off. It was Teyla, and she was kneeled down beside Major Sheppard. She looked scared. "Lieutenant, Major Sheppard is not breathing! And I cannot hear his heart beating, either!"

The words hit him like a hammer. Ford rushed back to where she was crouched. After confirming what Teyla had said, he started barking orders to whoever would listen. The portable defibrillator was brought out from one of the overhead bins while the manual air pump was handed to him from the emergency kit. Okay, I did this to him once before, he thought, trying to instill faith in himself. Piece of cake... Who are you kidding, Aiden? It didn't even work last time!

Pushing those thought from his mind, he charged the machine, placed the paddles on John's chest, and pressed the button. A jolt of electricity coursed through the major's body, causing his back to arch in stiffness before his entire body went limp again. Teyla pressed the breathing apparatus over John's mouth and pumped three times.

"Still no pulse," one of the Marines announced.

"Come on, Major…" Ford pleaded. "A fewmore seconds; just hang in there…." After the defibrillator was fully charged once more, he and Teyla repeated the process. They yielded the same results as before.

Aiden threw the machine aside in disgust and began to perform manual CPR.

McKay watched from the side as his friend slowly slipped away. This scene was all too familiar. But at least when John had the Wraith-tic stuck on his neck, they were able to put his body in suspended animation by taking him through the wormhole. There was no such option this time. He would be either alive or dead by the time they reached Atlantis, and the way things were going so far…. Rodney slowly sat down on one of the Jumper's seats. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the bulkhead in despair.

Elizabeth watched in horror from her seat. She didn't trust her legs to support her body weight right now. Confusion registered on her face. How could this happen? It had worked before, hadn't it? Why wasn't he pulling through? He could pull through anything; what was taking so long this time?

Teyla stood up suddenly and began to pace, rubbing her hand over her mouth nervously. Her eyes darted from wall to wall, landing on everything but the major's body.

Tears began to well up in Elizabeth's eyes as she watched Aiden persistently press on John's heart at regular intervals. It was all happening in slow motion. But his valiant efforts weren't working. John was dying. They had tried their best, but it didn't look like it would be enough.

The last image she saw before the Puddle Jumper crossed the event horizon was the lieutenant crouching defeatedly over the man she cared for.

-End Flashback-

That had been two hours ago. When they had reached the Jumper bay, Carson had immediately rushed into the Jumper and had tried to revive John. After two minutes of failure, they were finally able to restart his heart. He had a weak pulse, but at least it was something.

It had been touch and go since then. His body had refused to cooperate; his heart had stopped on two other occasions. Luckily, they were able to restart it each time, but it was obvious it had taken a toll on Major Sheppard. If his heart should stop again, Beckett didn't know if he'd be able to resuscitate him a third time.

John was currently lying on one of the infirmary beds, still unconscious, with all sorts of machines attached to him. The medical team had been trying to stabilize him for the past two hours while nurses had performed a routine exam on the rest of the squad. Teyla, McKay, Ford, Dr. Weir, and most of the Marines had checked out okay, but the two who had been hit with Stunners were kept for observation. According to Beckett, they would be fine in a few hours.

Carson wished he had time to check on his other patients, but he hadn't been able to spare one minute since the major had been rolled in. He knew if he left even for one second, it was during that second something would go wrong. Not that he didn't put his complete trust in his team, but he preferred to be there himself - just in case.

He had noticed that Elizabeth hadn't left, either. Carson couldn't blame her. And as much as he wanted to urge her to get some rest, he knew she would just call him a hypocrite and continue to stay. The look on her face told him to not even try. The entire time she had watched on anxiously but remained silent.

The doctor turnined his attention back to John. He had done everything he could for now; they would have to wait a while before they could do more. Any more shock to his system could put him into arrest, and then they would lose him for sure.

Carson just hoped he would survive the night.

TBC


Okay, all you lurkers out there, it's time for you to review! I know you're out there... there's 52 members on the author alert list but not even half that amount review each chapter. Just push the nice little button in the left hand corner of the screen and type some junk in the box so I can feel happy. :)

That was it for the action and whumping. Everything from here on out will be wrapping it up; but don't worry, more important stuff happens. :)