The Long Trip Home - Chapter Two
Thirty minutes later a very hot, tired, and hungry McKay walked into the back of Jumper Two. "Done. We are good to go," he panted. And go was exactly what he wanted to do. He just wanted to be off this God-forsaken sand pit. McKay got a drink of water as Teyla finished wrapping Sheppard's ribcage. He could see the bruising around the edge of the wrapping. Sheppard seemed a little too pale and his eyes a little too bright.
"You okay?" asked McKay.
Sheppard paused a second and seemed to be trying to catch his breath. "I WAS. No one told me Teyla was taking lessons on torture techniques from Beckett."
"Dr. Beckett has simply been guiding me on the treatment of injuries in the field," replied Teyla matter of factly. "He felt our team needed special training in that area since we so often come back injured. Or at least certain team members do."
"Ha! Ha!" said Sheppard sarcastically. "I see you've managed to pick up his sense of humor, too. You guys are a laugh a minute. Just do me a favor. Don't quit your day job."
Teyla hesitated. "My day job?"
Sheppard dropped his head down until his chin hit his chest and sighed deeply. "Never mind."
Ford walked in through the open back of the jumper. "How's the major?" No one missed the fact that he directed the question to Teyla and not to Sheppard.
"Hello!" snapped Sheppard. "I'm sitting right here."
Teyla turned to answer Ford. "I cleaned the wound as best I can, but I'm afraid some of the dirt may have worked itself down into the injury. Dr. Beckett will probably need to give it a more rigorous cleaning when we return to Atlantis."
Ford smiled at Sheppard. "Oh, that sounds like fun." Sheppard looked miserable.
"The major has also suffered several broken ribs. I feel we should get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible so that Dr. Beckett may examine him more thoroughly." Ford could see her smile, but Sheppard could not.
Sheppard smiled weakly as he tried to put his shirt back on. "Laugh it up, guys. Laugh it up." They would have laughed more, but they were starting to feel sorry for him. As Teyla gave him a hand with his shirt, he really did look miserable.
Both teams sat scattered around Jumper Two, eating from the supplies brought by the rescue team. McKay had declared himself famished about the time they finished teasing Major Sheppard. Sheppard realized that his stomach was also making gurgling noises, protesting the recent lack of food. When the two men put their heads together, they realized that (with the exception of a power bar or two) neither had eaten in over thirty hours. Sheppard didn't even have any power bars left. He had fed all of his but a couple of bites to the glowing bugs.
Ford and Teyla noticed that each man drank heavily after their meal. "You guys worked up a real thirst," commented Ford.
"Funny how a desert can do that to you," retorted McKay wryly. Sheppard just kept drinking. He was almost out of breath when he finally quit. He was still thirsty, but his stomach was uncomfortably full. It seemed to slosh when he moved. Suddenly he burped loudly, suprising both himself and his team mates.
"Oh," he gasped, putting his hand to his chest. "Sorry about that," he said, somewhat embarrassed.
Everyone looked around the jumper, trying really hard not to laugh. About the time they got a handle on it, Sheppard burped again. He watched as their faces contorted in the agony of trying to maintain a straight face. Ford lost it first, with the rest joining in barely a second later. Sheppard smiled and began to laugh as well, clutching his arm tightly to his ribs.
"Quit guys," he sputtered. "It hurts!'
But they couldn't stop. At least not yet.
When the laughter finally died down, McKay looked at Sheppard. "Feel better?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," replied Sheppard lightly.
"Apparently Manners 101 isn't required coursework in flyboy school, although I would think you would have picked up the basics just by living in somewhat populated areas,"
"Not much population in Antarctica. I'm tired. Let's blow this popsicle stand." He looked out the back of the jumper at the gathering darkness and shivered. He thought about the wraith and about the ice he had seen on the rocks earlier.. He really didn't want to spend the night here.
McKay followed Sheppard"s gaze out the open back hatch, mirroring his thoughts. "I'm driving."
Sheppard shook his head slowly. "I'll take the first leg."
McKay looked hurt. "You said I could drive if I fixed the ship," he whined.
Sheppard suddenly looked tired and worn to his fellow travelers. "You can drive the last half of the trip." He gave a small smile. "That way you can practice parking." McKay seemed to be thinking about it.
"Look," Sheppard began, with an honesty that startled them. "I'm still on the edges of an adrenalin rush, so I'm good to drive right now. But I'm really starting to hurt and I know from experience it'll be a lot worse later. I can't promise you I'll be able to drive in seven or eight hours, at least not safely. I also know you're tired. We haven't slept in..." He paused to count it up.
"Forty hours," they said simultaneously. Sheppard smiled briefly. "I'm assuming you don't want to drive the whole fifteen hours back."
McKay shrugged his shoulders in agreement. "Not really."
"Okay. I'll drive the first half while you sleep. Then we'll switch."
McKay nodded, noticing how tired and pale Sheppard was beginning to look. "Are you sure you're up to it? You don't look so good."
"I'm good. And thanks," he added sourly. "Don't worry, I'll be waking you up in seven and a half hours for your shift."
Ford had been listening to the exchange. He didn't really like the idea of either one of them driving, especially for fifteen hours. He didn't seem have a choice, however. As Sheppard and McKay moved around, preparing to go back to Jumper One, he couldn't help but notice the strained grimace of pain on his CO's face. As the two men walked down the ramp exiting the back of the jumper, he noticed the major's limp was somewhat more pronounced. The major was really starting to hurt.
"Teyla?" he said. She too had been watching the battered pair exit the jumper. "Why don't you ride with them? Just, ya know, keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't doze off at the wheel. Don't want any DWA's."
She looked at him in confusion. "DWA?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "Driving while asleep."