AN: Thanks to everyone for reviewing - I have warm fuzzies all over! I'd justhad some anonymous negative feedback on one of my other stories and I guess I was feeling a little insecure. Thanks for helping out!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters to Stargate Atlantis, nor am I making any type of profit from this story. It is a work of fan fiction, for enjoyment only.

Puzzles

By KerrAvon

Chapter 3 - Aftershocks

John's eyes had once again slid shut of their own volition when he was startled awake by violent shaking. Getting ready to berate his teammate, he glanced at the man only to note that he was several feet away, next to their rucksacks. The scientist's face was frozen in fear as he stared upward towards the ceiling of the rock-hewn cavern. It only took a moment for Sheppard, California boy that he was, to realize that they were experiencing aftershocks from the earthquake that originally took him out. Trying to struggle to his feet, he yelled, "Rodney, get down!"

That seemed to jolt McKay out of his torpor. He lunged for the Major, face converting from fear to worry in a heartbeat. Before he could blink, Sheppard found himself bowled over and manhandled into a crevice formed between the floor and the boulder he'd been leaning against, the astrophysicist wedged in on top of him. Bits of rock began raining down as the shaking continued; Sheppard felt more than heard McKay grunt as a particularly large chunk struck just before things quieted down.

The Major waited a minute for McKay to roll off; when the man made no such move, he began to become alarmed. Keeping the concern out of his tone, he nudged the scientist's shoulder with his free hand. "Hey, McKay. I think it's over. Much as I appreciate the concern, mind getting off of me?"

A queasy feeling settled in the back of his throat when Rodney neither moved nor replied. Using the ceiling chunk for leverage, he gently rolled the other man over onto his back. McKay flopped over bonelessly; if the pilot hadn't clearly seen the other man's chest rise and fall as he breathed, he would have believed him dead.

Examining the unconscious scientist as best he could given the pounding still going on in his own head, he rapidly found the enlarging hematoma on the back of his skull where the roof fragment had struck. "McKay…" It was his turn to slap the scientist for a change. Nothing. Damn, the man was out of it.

Sheppard became aware of the radio squawking for attention. A few minutes of fumbling produced the earphone and mike, which he keyed. "Sheppard here."

"Oh, thank God." Beckett's brogue got thicker with stress. "Major, where is Doctor McKay?"

"I think he was hit by a rock during the aftershock. He's out cold."

"Is he breathing?"

"Yeah, but he's got a heck of a knot on the back of his head."

"We're having problems on this end. Half the tunnel we've cleared caved in again, and tried to take our team with it. It may be a while before we can reach you. Do you have any water?"

Sheppard was confused by the sudden topic changes; his head was swimming. Glancing about, he lit on a canteen and snagged it. Shaking it, he heard the liquid sloshing inside, then keyed the mike again. "That's affirmative."

"Good. Soak a piece of cloth and put it on Rodney's lump, then put another on his forehead." Sheppard did so as quickly as he could. Nothing.

"No reaction."

'Well, try your best. Stay awake yourself, and if Rodney wakes up, try to keep him that way as well." A heavy sigh, then, "We'll try to reach you as quickly as we can."

Sheppard's brows creased. "Well, try to make it soon. Rodney doesn't look so good."

Beckett didn't waste time to reply. This was bad. Now he had two patients that he couldn't reach, both with serious head injuries and at least a concussion. That last aftershock had set them back at least an hour, and he had one man out with a broken wrist and another with a twisted ankle. "That tears it," he muttered. "I need more people to dig; I don't care if the Hive ships are at our front door." With that, he got on the radio to Weir.

As Beckett signed off, Sheppard gulped and put a hand to his own throbbing head. Closing his eyes, he muttered, "Come on, Rodney, don't do this to me. I didn't leave you alone, did I?"

As if in response to his plea, the scientist began to moan. Keeping his eyes tightly closed, he shakily brought his right hand to his forehead. As his hand encountered the damp cloth, his eyes flew open as he exclaimed, "Oh God, I'm bleeding!"

Sheppard batted his hand down. "No, but you got knocked out by falling rock. Welcome to the club. How's it feel?"

"I think my head's about split open like a ripe melon and spill out my very valuable brain all over the floor. I'm sure I have an intracranial hemorrhage. Where's that quack Beckett, anyway?" He groaned and struggled to sit up.

"Trying to get to us. Looks like I get to keep you awake for a change." Sheppard helped the scientist lean against the boulder, then settled in next to him.

McKay snorted derisively. "Like you could stay awake long enough yourself."

"I can stay awake just fine," protested Sheppard indignantly.

"OK, prove it." Rodney squinted at him challengingly, then leaned his head back against the stone.

"I will." He blinked as the room suddenly swam in and out of focus. "I just hope Carson gets here soon." He thought back to the day before when he had last laid eyes on the physician.

After Zelenka's, no more puzzles had appeared until lunchtime when the Chief Medical Officer had joined him. He was wolfing down the tasteless MRE and deciding that PXS-4J6 was the most likely site to find a ZPM or alternatively serve as an Alpha site as Beckett huffed up and noisily plopped down his tray. "Major," he nodded.

Chewing slowly, Sheppard regarded the new arrival suspiciously. After a few minutes of watching the physician clatter his silverware and slosh his tea uncomfortably, John felt obliged to speak up. "Let me guess; your turn?"

The physician finally looked him in the eye. "Was I that obvious, then?"

John nodded in amusement. "I'm afraid so. Don't worry; I know who's behind it. I don't mind…really."

"You're sure? I'm certain that you have other duties…"

Sheppard actually chuckled. "So far it hasn't been a problem."

Beckett sighed in relief. "All right, then. I'll just ask mine out loud, if that's acceptable."

John jutted his lower lip and nodded. "Sure, why not?" He gestured expansively at the physician. "Go for it."

The doctor took a deep breath, "A little girl is in Missouri, and her mother is in California. The little girl is in an accident, & has to be rushed to a nearby hospital. The little girl is the daughter of the nurse who assists her. How is this possible?"

John smiled at his tray and took a sip of coffee. "Two ways, doc. You want the obvious one or the subtle one first?"

Beckett looked truly curious. "How about the obvious one first?"

"Okey dokey." He spread his hands, "The nurse is her father."

The Chief Medical Officer snorted. "Right you are, lad. But you said that there was another answer?"

The pilot shrugged. "I lived a couple of months in the town of California, Missouri, which is just outside Jefferson City. So the Mom could be working as a nurse in a hospital in 'California' yet still care for her daughter in 'Missouri'."

A smile slowly spread across Carson's face. "Ah wasna' aware of such a place. You're correct though - both answers would work. Wait until I tell Rodney!" With that he rose to return his tray. Sheppard finished his coffee in relative peace, then headed to find the astrophysicist himself; they had a planet to search for a ZPM.

TBC…

AN - Again, thanks for the feedback! If you have constructive criticism, PLEASE leave some way for me to contact you so we can discuss it - email me privately, for example. You might have a point. It's just hard to learn from vague comments, and one point of writing these stories is to learn how to write better! For those who just like the story, thanks for saying so! (Lots of warm fuzzies here right now)