Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Free Gate passes to Atlantis for all of you!


Two.
Gunshots made Lt Aidan Ford straighten from his task and listen. From the corner of his eye, he saw Teyla pause as well.

"Ford, I need you down here," came the static-ridden voice of his CO. He motioned for Teyla to follow as he started for the opening into the underground cavern. A profound rumbling under his feet made him exchange a worried glance with Teyla before running headlong into the cavern.

"Major," he called into the walkie. Switching on the light of his P-90, he coughed at the rising dust from an apparent cave-in. He just hoped the major and Dr McKay weren't in it.

He glanced back at Teyla who was following at a slight distance. She shook her head at him, not seeing anything of the major or doctor.

"Major." His voice echoed through the cavern.. "Can you hear me, sir?" Following the billows of dirt into another room, where he found a pile of rubble with arms and legs sticking out from under it.

He quickly kneeled, unhooking and dropping his weapon to the side. He felt a wrist then another, found both pulses erratic.

Teyla watched from the doorway, coughing slightly at the dust as Ford checked for life. He turned to her abruptly, "Their alive. Let's get them outta there."

Working together, careful not to cause further injury, they unburied their two friends. It appeared that Major Sheppard had shielded Dr McKay with his own body, taking on the brunt of the ceiling stones.

"We have to flip him," Ford said, uneasily. He knew that moving the major could cause more damage, especially if his spine was involved but both men needed to be stabilized before he could chance sending Teyla to get help.

Bracing one hand on the major's head, the other on the back of his neck, Ford nodded to Teyla to roll him. Settling him on the floor didn't rouse him at all. Getting a clear line of site on Dr McKay, they could see no evidence of physical injury but he was unconscious so he must've hit his head.

"Teyla, get back to the gate. Tell Dr Weir we need help now."

Teyla nodded, stood to leave when he called to her again, "Oh and don't leave out the part about the 'nocturnal wildlife,' okay?"

"I shall be right back." She turned and was gone.

Aidan listened to the breathing of the two men he had come to view as big brothers. McKay's was clear and slow but Major Sheppard's was ragged and becoming gurgly. He prayed the rescue team would hurry.

Within half an hour, Teyla reappeared with Dr Beckett and four other large men, two military and two techs.

Dr Carson Beckett stood in the entrance to the collapsed room, taking in the situation. Lt Ford was sitting cross legged on the dirt floor between Major Sheppard and Dr McKay.

"What do we have, lieutenant?" Carson asked, kneeling in front of him between the two unconscious men.

"I heard gunshots then the ground started to shake. Looks like they were buried when the ceiling collapsed. The major shielded the doctor. Major Sheppard is having increased difficulty breathing." Ford tried to be precise in his descriptions. Any small detail could mean life and death.

"Has either regained consciousness?" Carson began pulling various equipment from his duffle bag.

Ford shook his head, scooting back out of the way. Carson placed the stethoscope tips in his ears listening first to Major Sheppard then Rodney while a nurse that Ford hadn't noticed before got pressures on both. Stuffing he stethoscope back in the bag, he patted and probed Rodney's chest and extremities, then felt his head. "Negative fractures on Rodney," he reported. He repeated the procedure on the major. "Broken wrist, got blood on the back of the head." He turned to the men and the nurse he brought with him, "Get them both on a back board, start an IV line. Let's get them home." He stood to face Ford and Teyla. "They are stable. I need to get them home to run a full scan."

Ford kept his eyes on the ground through the doctor's oration. Carson noticed the lieutenant's self-doubt and worry. He patted the young man's shoulder. "You did good, son."