THE TRENCH
PART EIGHT: IT'S NEVER EASY

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Getting back was surprisingly easy. Bates left Stackhouse and a few men behind to make sure Clay and his men didn't follow Sheppard, Greene, Dunne and McKay as they worked together to lift up Ford and carry him back to the bridge. Between the four men, they managed to get a good pace going. They got Ford up on Greene's back, using the rope to help keep him in place, and then Dunne stayed close behind the tall, blond field medic as he began a quick jog. McKay was still coughing, wheezing now as well, as he tried to keep up with Sheppard by his side. The major's own body was stinging from the contact with the water, and a headache had quickly formed in his head. Worse, try as he might, he could not get rid out the nasty taste in his mouth that the acidic water had left behind.

They reached the bridge, and were quickly over it. Moments later, they were at the gate and stumbling through the event horizon into the clean, sweet air of Atlantis's Gate Room.

Elizabeth skipped down the steps as Beckett's medical crew took Ford away from Greene and put him on a gurney. The Scot was yelling orders even as they moved, listening at the same time to Greene as the medic gave him a quick rundown. Weir watched as they disappeared, her eyes wide and concerned, then turned to look at Sheppard as he bent over, trying to catch his breath. A couple feet away, McKay stumbled a little into Bates and coughed violently again. The sergeant caught him with surprising gentleness, getting a hand under his arm. She heard Bates softly asking the doctor if he was okay. Taking the same cue, she leaned over to see more of Sheppard's face.

"Are you all right?" Elizabeth asked him, taking in the mud and grime and dust and trying to see any injuries.

Sheppard just shook his head no, not up to answering with words yet. Turning his head, he looked in the direction that Beckett had taken Ford. Swallowing, he straightened up a little and looked at her. McKay's coughing was getting worse in the background.

"Teyla?" he asked, frowning a little at the coarseness of his voice. His throat felt like it was on fire.

"She's okay," Elizabeth promised, straightening up with him. "Carson managed to isolate the poison, and he's flushing it from her system. He says she'll be fine. She's even woken up a couple of times—worried about the rest of you, mostly."

"Good she's okay," Sheppard nodded and bent over again. Man he felt like hell, and his skin felt like it was crawling everywhere he had been touched by that horrible water. He tried to ignore the slight dizziness he felt, but it refused to abate, just like the pain searing his throat.

"John," Elizabeth was closer to him now, worried by his pallor. "What's wrong? What happened over there?"

"Major!" Bates cry had them both turning their heads, as McKay suddenly collapsed into a heap on the floor next to the sergeant, his upper body barely caught by the sergeant. Bates' eyes were wide with worry as he managed to lay the scientist down onto his side, his hand on his chest, "Major, I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's shivering hard and he's barely breathing!"

Sheppard blinked, wanting to answer, but the world suddenly took a sharp tilt to the left. He landed hard on his own knees, barely aware as someone grabbed his arms to stop him from falling forward more. Still standing over him, Elizabeth's eyes had gone wide at both the major's now obvious disorientation and at the fact that Bates had shifted and started giving McKay mouth to mouth. In just that short time from the sergeant's initial yell, the scientist had stopped breathing altogether.

She hit her mike, "Beckett! I need another medical team up here now!"

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TBC – See, told ya. Just had to get them all under Beckett's care. Poor man. (evil grin)