Thanks for all the kind and encouraging words. We're almost done. Dr Dredd - Thank you for the information. Please let me know when I goof. To be honest, the whole time I was writing about the arrow I was thinking they probably shouldn't remove it, but I just really wanted to write it that way. I tried to make feeble excuses about why he wanted to do it, hoping to make it believable. I know - I was bad, but I'm glad you understand why. I'll try to redeem myself next chapter - watch for it.

Chapter 4

McKay's mind wandered, drifting along just below consciousness. He was trying to bring himself back to the present. He felt there was something he really needed to do. Something about...brother. He had a brother. That couldn't be right...he didn't have a brother. Something...no...he did have a brother...blood brother...Sheppard. There was something about Sheppard. He slowly cranked his eyes open, thankful that the light was dim inside the cave. His head still throbbed like little demons grinding away in his brain. He was beginning to remember. Finally getting his eyes to focus, he watched Sheppard, who was propped up against the opposite wall. Sheppard's eyes were barely open a slit and he was very still and very pale. As McKay watched, his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest. Even though Sheppard's eyes were slightly open, there was nothing to indicate consciousness. He was too still.

" Colonel! John can you hear me?" McKay quickly scooted across the floor of the cave and pressed his shaking hand out to touch the side of Sheppard's neck. His skin was cool and that scared McKay even more. Just about the time McKay picked up a faint pulse, Sheppard inhaled sharply and his eyes fluttered. He struggled to clear his vision.

"McKay? Man, you look like crap."

McKay exhaled loudly, looking down at his shaking hand. "Have you looked in a mirror, lately? You just scared the crap out of me. I thought for a minute you were...you know."

Sheppard wiped the sweat from his face with his good hand. It seemed to require way too much energy to perform such a simple task. "Guess I must have dozed off...or passed out...or something. We'd better get moving."

McKay nodded. The two men struggled to their feet. They were both exhausted and sore and really wanted to be safe back in Atlantis. This desire was what gave them the energy to get going again. McKay looked down at his bloody hand...had he dreamed it? He glanced at Sheppard, leaning against the side of the cave watching him.

"Ready...brother?"

McKay smiled. "You bet."

As they made their way to the entrance, Sheppard said, "Just remember our deal. This is our little secret. Bates would probably have me relieved of duty or something. You know that man has no sense of humor or adventure. I doubt the man was ever really even a kid. Somehow I don't think he'd understand the phrase 'a kid at heart'."

They crawled out of the cave, grunting and panting the whole way. When they got out in the open, they both had to lay on the ground for a few minutes, trying to catch their breath. "Colonel...that just doesn't sound right. Major was so much easier. It sort of rolled off the tongue more smoothly."

"Hey, McKay...don't ...diss ...my promotion. Worked too hard for it."

"Yeah, whatever. Can we go now?"

Sheppard nodded tiredly. "Just try and stop me."

The two men once again struggled to their feet. Leaning heavily against one another, they began their trek through the woods. They staggered along for almost forty-five minutes before they finally had to stop for a minute.

McKay was so dizzy, he was causing them both to lean dangerously to one side. Sheppard was so weak, he simply didn't have the strength to support them at such an angle. He helped McKay lean against a tree so he could sit down against it and rest. Sheppard, swaying, then managed to get to the next tree and sit down himself. They were both breathing heavily, fighting pain and exhaustion.

Sheppard activated his radio. "Major, this is Sheppard. What's the gate status?"

"Colonel, we were getting worried. The gate is secure. We've seen some of the locals, but we fired a few rounds in their direction and they're keeping their distance. Where will you be coming in from sir? Maybe I could send an escort to meet you."

Sheppard was so tired, he almost didn't have the energy to answer. "I hope I have us coming in from the back of the gate. I'm purely guessing here, but I think we're onlytwenty minutes or so out. At this point, an escort might not be a bad idea. McKay and I aren't in any shape to put up a fight if we come across any of our friends from earlier."

"Good. I'll send Cooper and McAlister to meet you and we'll advise Atlantis."

"Copy that. Sheppard out." He looked over at McKay, who looked as weary as he felt. "Can you make it a little further?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, not really. Come on, McKay. We're almost home." Sheppard worked his way to his feet and promptly flopped back down on his butt. He looked somewhat dazed and sat swaying gently back and forth.

McKay sat upright. "John? Are you okay?" Sheppard's eyes seemed unfocused and he appeared to be struggling to keep them open.

"Just...give me... a minute...Kind of...dizzy." After a few minutes, Sheppard seemed to gain a little control and once again stood up. After swaying a second, he steadied himself and moved toward McKay. "I'm okay now.'

Sheppard leaned against the tree propping McKay up and reached down with his good hand. McKay reluctantly took his hand and, using the tree as leverage, worked his way to a standing position. Now it was McKay's turn to sway back and forth. "Oh no...Oh, no..." McKay's face turned a funny shade of green as he leaned forward and emptied his stomach of everything he'd taken in that day. Sheppard put his hand on McKay's shoulder, partially for support and partially for comfort. He remembered all too well the miserable feeling accompanying the activity.

McKay leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes a minute. Sheppard couldn't help but think how totally pathetic they were as he offered Rodney a drink. "We better get moving McKay. If we don't get out of here soon, someone's going to have to carry us. I'd just as soon walk through the gate to Atlantis under my own power."

McKay nodded. "Yeah. Me too. Let's go." And so they did.

A few minutes later, they were met by Cooper and McAlister, the soldiers Major Lorne had sent. The two soldiers were rather young and inexperienced and they were shocked at the appearance of the two injured men. Mostly they were amazed that anyone could look that bad and still be on their feet. They offered to help the men walk, but they insisted they could manage by themselves - they only needed the escort in case they were attacked. A few minutes later, the four men arrived at the gate.

Major Lorne's first thought was Why are they alive, followed shortly by How are they still walking. He knew they both needed immediate medical attention. McKay's head wound had bled through the bandage and he still had dried blood over most of one side of his face. He was limping badly, indicating his right ankle had a serious injury. The shoe wasn't tied and looked as though his foot might burst out of it at any minute. Sheppard's shoulder was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage and it looked like he'd bled out all down his shirt and onto the top of his pants. Several small streams of blood had run down his right arm and were partially dry. Both were pale and sweaty, covered with scratches, bruises, and dirt. Death warmed over is what his mother would say.

"Cooper, dial Atlantis. Tell them we're on our way and to have the medical teams waiting. Man, is Dr. Beckett going to have a field day with you two, sir."

A few minutes later, they were ready to step through the gate. Sheppard and McKay clutched each other and leaned on the other one heavily. They moved slowly, afraid each step would be the one that toppled them over. But they were both determined to walk through the gate. They stood unsteadily just a foot or so in front of the blue puddle. They glanced at each other briefly and then stepped through the gate... together.

TBC