Friendly Fire

By: Antares Star

Chapter Three: 10-67

PG-13: For character whumping, blood, and language

A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews everyone!
jennamajig - Those three do seem to stir up trouble!
Greywolf Lupous - Ha! 'Equal oppurtunity whumping!' I loved that!
Dr. Dredd - I'm saving that code for a later chapter!
Jennifer, Emma, szhismine - Stay tuned!
nebbyJ - Now you know how I feel every time you write a story!
Eve, Elisa - thanks, hope you enjoy chap 3
Jaws, highonscifi - You're right on the mark about the posion!
Espiritu - Theme from 'Jaws'! lol, made me laugh
Puddles1311 - lol, thanks! I thought that line was so Rodney!
Rogue1503 - Me thinks you're correct, and about Teyla, two words: girls rule!
Jules47 - You're on to something there!
MacCartney - Yeah, I was at Daytona Beach when there was a shark attack...scary!
...and anyone I may have missed

xoxoxoxoxox

"Do you have anything for pain?" Rodney asked Carson plaintively. Sheppard couldn't believe this act, one little flesh wound for God's sake! The gate seemed an eternity away.

"Rodney, are ya really hurt that bad?" Beckett tried to get his friend's mind off his wound.

"You're the voodoo doctor, you tell me." It obviously wasn't debilitating enough to cap the man's arrogance.

Carson forgave him for the jibe, knew he had a low tolerance for discomfort. "You'll make it Rodney, though it was touch an' go there for a minute." His sarcasm elicited a dramatic sigh from Rodney's scowling lips.

The complaining was just too much for Sheppard right now. His hand was killing him and the whole arm was beginning to feel alarmingly numb. "Well can you shut the hell up? You're annoying me," he growled.

"Well I'm sorry, wounded man speaking here." Rodney snapped his fingers as though a reminder was needed.

Sheppard didn't respond with his usual snarky comeback, prompting Carson to give him a closer look. He took in John's hands balled tightly at his side, blood leaking through the clenched fingers. Now that he was actively searching for it, Carson realized that Sheppard didn't look well. He was paler than normal and seemed unsteady.

"Major, are ya hurt?" Ignoring his throbbing leg, Beckett limped forward a step and lifted Sheppard's arm.

Sheppard jerked his hand back, sending a fresh wave of pain through the limb. "Get the hell off me!" He batted Carson away and stalked forward. The doctor looked taken aback.

"Major what is it?" He struggled to catch up, voice tinged with concern. Sheppard was acting rather hostile.

The Major closed his eyes and took a breath. "I-I don't know. I'm just so-so mad! I can't think straight." He rubbed his arms, not from the cold, but because his skin was crawling.

Beckett shifted nervously, searching his mind for the most likely cause of the Major's ailment. Surely a small scratch wouldn't cause this amount of discomfort. "There must be an agent in the sharks that attacked us. A poison of some sort. We'll get you checked out in the infirmary." They stopped, having reached the DHD at last.

Glaring at the Scot, Sheppard thought angrily, I'd like to see you try. No, no, he's your doctor. Control yourself John. He's helping. No, he's not! Looking up from his internal battle he noticed Beckett was studying him intently with piercing eyes. It made Sheppard squirm and feel uncomfortably like a microscope sample.

Rodney's irritated voice thankfully broke the unpleasant moment. "What's the hold up, eh?" Wallace was obviously having difficulty with the DHD and had entered the code incorrectly twice.

"I can't hardly see." He looked affronted and slipped his foggy glasses off.

"Well, we haven't got all day." Rodney cursed the uselessness of chemists in general, and shooed him aside so he could punch the correct runes in himself.

The stargate whooshed open and Ford entered his IDC. He reached around to haul Lydia up the steps to the stargate. She twisted away from him and threw up before stepping miserably into the event horizon.

Beckett was already categorizing her symptoms and cross-referencing them with Sheppard's and his own. He was sure his medical team could solve anything thrown their way. "Are you coming?" Sheppard's voice snapped him from his musings. Carson nodded quickly, and took the first step, but stumbled as pain ripped through his leg, flooded up to his hip and down to his foot. He gasped at the sudden increase in pain; so far it'd just been a dull throb. He'd been standing still too long, and leaving the cold water stopped its numbing effect. The stairs leading up to the stargate now seemed insurmountable, but a reproachful stare from Sheppard made him straighten painfully, one foot still on the bottom step. He rested his hands on his knees and drew in a deep breath.

For his part, Sheppard hadn't noticed until now that the doctor was wounded and covered in blood. It was all over him, staining his clothes and hands, gently mixing with the surrounding water in lazy, scarlet tendrils. He'd assumed it was McKay's and the biologist's, but now…"Are you hurt?"

The somewhat timid doctor looked guarded; afraid to speak for fear of upsetting Sheppard's seemingly fragile emotions. "Aye" he said slowly, reading Sheppard's face for any unpleasant reaction. Hesitantly he went on, "One of those bloody things bit my leg; felt numb at first but it hurts like the dickens. We need to get back to Atlantis, now." His eyes wandered from his own leg to Sheppard's bloody palm.

Teyla was calling from the top dais. The doctor took a cautious step, trying not to jar his leg. It'll take him all damn day at that pace! With a frustrated snarl Sheppard reached over and hauled Beckett forward by his jacket collar. "Hurry the fuck up. Didn't you just say that?" Carson looked surprised and a little shaken. Sheppard pushed him ahead, not really caring that Carson almost fell when his toe caught the step.

"Major, I think you need to-" Carson began evenly.

"What? What the hell do I need? I'll tell you what!" Sheppard lost it. His precious hold broke and he let the heat that flowed from his bloodied palm take over. He grabbed Beckett from behind, turning the smaller man bodily and pulled him down so they were on the same step. "I need you to shut the hell up!" He grasped Carson's shoulders and gave him a shake.

"Major Sheppard, what are ya doing?" Beckett's voice wavered, thickening in distress. His eyes sneaked up to meet the Major's face then quickly lowered. God, Sheppard's twisted expression was barely recognizable, what the hell was going on? "You need medical care." He spoke deliberately while gripping Sheppard's arms and attemptting to pry them loose. Sheppard just gripped his shoulders harder, causing Carson's suddenly aching muscles a surprising amount of pain.

xoxoxoxoxox

Wondering what was taking so long, Teyla turned to see if the last two team members were ready. They stood at the bottom of the stone stairs, seemingly in deep discussion. "Are you ready to return Major Sheppard?" She saw Sheppard reach forward and grab Beckett. Sheppard shook him, almost harshly. Teyla was confused, although many things these people did confused her. "Major, is there a problem?"

"A problem? Yeah there's a problem. There's a huge fucking problem." Beckett writhed as Sheppard increased the pressure on his arms, digging his fingers in cruelly.

Teyla had never heard him speak like that. "Major Sheppard," she protested, stepping down anxiously. Beckett's pants were torn, blood seeping from a nasty wound above his knee.

"Not a step closer Teyla." Emotions were bubbling over, surpassing John's rational thoughts. His nerves were worn and he felt hot all over -- not just hot, on fire. The feeling climbed, becoming acutely painful and intolerable. He let out a strangled yell, pushing Carson away so he could double over.

"Major?" Carson just barely kept his balance. He wanted to help but wasn't willing to approach the confused man.

Straightening up caused Sheppard's vision to blur and in a moment of panic, he didn't know where or who he was. Instinct took over. You've got to escape. Fight! He lunged sideways, landing a solid punch on the closest person's face. The man shouted in surprise before toppling down the steps into the water. Sheppard followed him and grabbed him roughly. Pulling him from the water, he saw his nose was bleeding and his eyes were clenched shut. Good, you've got the upper hand now.

Racing down the stairs, Teyla didn't hesitate; she pulled her gun out and centered it on John's chest. "Major Sheppard, please remain still and no one will be harmed." John just twisted Beckett in front of him, effectively blocking her weapon. His good arm snaked up to cradle Carson's throat.

"Major Sheppard…John, what do you plan on accomplishing?" She spoke slowly, trying to reason with him. "We must return safely to Atlantis if you are to be treated."

Carson's voice was muffled through his bloody nose. "Don't bother reasonin' with him lass; he's not the full shillin'." Sheppard's arm tightened in warning.

"How long must we stand here Major?" Teyla stepped closer, gun steady.

Drawing himself up to protest, Sheppard tensed in anticipation of a fight. However, as though a switch had been flicked, he abruptly deflated. His head dropped and he closed his eyes as though exhausted. His forehead came to rest on Carson's shoulder, making the nervous doctor jerk in surprise.

"John, you must return immediately. Will you do that?" Teyla reached out and firmly took Sheppard's arm, unlooping it carefully from Beckett's neck. A sigh of relief went up and Carson promptly sank down on the bottom stair. He was freezing and was pretty sure it wasn't from all the rain.

Teyla was torn over whom to help first. "Doctor Beckett?" Carson nodded rather pathetically and waved her away. First things first. She steered Sheppard up to the blue event horizon. The man was weaving but covered the ascent on his own two feet. She keyed her radio. "Atlantis, this is Teyla. I am sending Major Sheppard through; he is injured and has been affected by something that is causing…unusual behavior, although he's currently subdued."

Sounding calm, if not a bit upset, Weir's voice came in over the radio. "Teyla, what exactly do you mean? We were about to call you, what's taking so long?"

"Major Sheppard, he is not acting normally. He…wasn't himself a moment ago but is almost in a drugged state now. He is coming now." She gave Sheppard a little push to get him going and watched worriedly as her friend disappeared obediently from sight.

Teyla turned to get the last member of the team home. Beckett was sitting on the step where he'd collapsed, blood dripping from his nose, which he was making no move to stop it. His sodden pack lay submerged several feet away. Slinging it over one shoulder, Teyla took Carson by his shoulders and pulled him up with strength disproportionate to her slight size. He gasped and jerked in pain. She quickly released his bruised arms.

"Déjà vu," Beckett gasped.

"Pardon?" Teyla looked at him strangely, feeling inclined perhaps, to search for a head injury. "Are you badly injured Doctor Beckett?"

Carson squinted blearily. "Déjà vu…means we've done this before…with Sora. Remember?" He seemed disoriented and pale. The rain was still falling heavily and smeared crimson streaks down his chin. "One o' those buggers bit me, on my leg. Don't know how deep it is." Carson sniffed, noticing his nosebleed suddenly. "And feels like the Major broke my bloody nose, but that's nothing a bit of ploutin' won't cure."

Teyla wasn't sure exactly what 'plouting' was but didn't bother to ask. His leg was obviously injured, and she was sure rolling down a couple of steps hadn't helped him any. "If I help, are you able to walk?"

"I'll give it a go." There were eight steps, they seemed infeasible.

She gripped his arm and slung it over her free shoulder. Carson seemed to be going downhill fast, just like Dr. Thompson. Teyla wasn't a healer, but she could put two and two together. "Am I correct to guess the creatures were venomous?"

Beckett nodded, trying to form words, but his tongue felt thick. In fact, his whole throat felt heavy and swollen and he was having trouble breathing. Teyla was talking to him; he tried to wrestle his thoughts back. "Dr. Beckett, how are you feeling? Can you speak? Please speak to me."

"Sorry, havin' a bit o' trouble breathin'. Walkin' too. My hunkers are right shoogley…and by jings I'm fair wabbit." Carson's voice was slurred, his accent hopeless.

Sounding so genuinely confused that he had to smile, Teyla apologized, "I am sorry, I do not believe I understand what you are trying to tell me."

"S'not the first time I've heard that lass." The final step fell away and they were at the rippling entrance. Teyla pulled him through...and just in time too.

xoxoxoxoxox

A/N: In case you're curious, the next chapter is entitled 902M, you can google it if you want a tiny hint!

Chapter Title Translation: 10-67 is Tennessee Police code for 'hostage situation'…but means different things in different states. I live in TN right now though, so that trumps other Police codes. Yeah, that's right.