Weir watched as the Gate closed from the Alpha Site check in. Nothing. They had not heard anything from Parcini in two hours. Little guess whose fault it was.
"Teyla meet me at the brig."
When she arrived, Teyla was already waiting. "I'm going to ask something of you. We need to know what he's done. We need to know how to fix it and we needed to know yesterday. We've lost contact with Parcini."
"I will try." Teyla faced the door and followed Weir into the room.
"Dr. McKay, food acceptable?" Weir smiled ingenuously.
He sneered back, "Not lively enough. More's the pity."
He studied the two women. "You haven't come down to shoot the shit. Anything I can help you with?" He asked with mock concern.
"Parcini Doctor. What's happened?" Weir nodded to Teyla.
She circled the enclosure. McKay followed the Athosian with his eyes and smiled knowingly.
"Sooo, called Parcini and got a busy signal." He held his hand to his ear imitating using a telephone. "You have reached Hadrius; no one can answer your call right now. We are being culled. Please leave your name and number so the Wraith can get back to you." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. He shot a sideways glance at Teyla.
"Somehow McKay kept your gift hidden. Sneaky little bastard. But once again, I ask. Think you can take me little girl?"
Teyla's eyes fluttered as she tried to connect with the Wraith mind.
"What, what are you doing? Oh no, oh no. Must…keep…secrets," yelled McKay while grabbing his head.
He weaved it back and forth and continued moaning. He stopped unexpectedly and looked directly at Teyla. His voice contained a menacing inflection.
"Just screwing with you."
Teyla shrieked and collapsed.
Punch line delivered again.
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Thank goodness Level 6 was an infirmary, sort of. He sent Dr. Simpson and two of his team to check it out. Pvt. Kramer had the gene and could activate anything they needed. They needed to either get the transporter working or rig something to get Col. Sheppard down to the next level. Ronon and he figured the deeper they were the less of a chance the Wraith had at finding them.
Hopefully, anyone left on the planet had taken refuge in a Pavilion. Hopefully, they could shut the doors even while they were in diagnostic mode. Hopefully, they would remain undetected. Things could not get much worse.
"I did not just think that, knock on wood." Stackhouse whispered to himself.
Col. Sheppard was starting to stir. They had found more of the shimmering, glittery gauze on Level 6. Large sheets of the stuff. They had the colonel wrapped up like a mummy. His dark hair peeking out along with one eye. It was miracle stuff. However it worked, they were grateful.
Through his one good eye, Sheppard met Stackhouse's gaze. "Report Sergeant."
"SNAFU Sir."
That earned a smile, or what Stackhouse could guess was a smile.
"Understood Sergeant."
"We are still in the building you and Dr. McKay were reconning Sir." He shifted to sit on the floor near his C.O. "The energy creature has been contained. We are searching Level 6, which has an infirmary or a lab that has medical supplies. We are trying to figure a way to get you down there." Stackhouse was dreading his next statement. "Sir, the Wraith are culling Parcini."
"I'm on Parcini?"
"Yes Sir."
"I hate Parcini."
Stackhouse sucked in his top lip before answering. "Yes Sir. You and Dr. McKay were searching this facility. Dr. McKay returned without you. He was compromised by a Wraith mind and has sabotaged Atlantis and Parcini. Any of this sounding familiar?"
Sheppard's one visible eyebrow crinkled. "No."
"We think Dr. McKay attacked you and killed Ryals and Burns before returning to Atlantis." The Sergeant made sure the wrappings were secure around Sheppard.
"The last thing I remember was the cosmic jellyfish trying to make me his own little clown fish." Sheppard closed his eyes. "Think I'm sleeping again Stackhouse."
"Are you in any pain Sir?"
"No. Is that good or bad?" Before Stackhouse could answer, Sheppard fell asleep.
"OK, let's rig something to get him down the Jeffries tube there. I'd prefer he stay asleep when we move him."
Miko came forward. "Maybe a papoose. Do you have rope?"
"Always, never know Doctor."
"There are sheets over equipment and consoles, so we might be able to get him down using those and the rope." She looked at the others in the room. "If you have any other suggestions?" She shyly looked down at her shoes.
"It's a good plan," said Ronon. "I'll collect the covers."
"Kramer, Miller, we need your rope. We are going to lower the colonel down there."
"On my way," Miller called back.
They started working on the papoose and the logistics of lowering him without further injury. Once they were done, they trussed him up and carried him to the ladder.
"OK, we have a guide rope to keep him from banging into anything. Keep it taught. One man above and one man below. I'm not let anything more happen to this man."
"Aye, aye," responded his team in unison. The others merely nodded.
"Let's do it."
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A/N: OK, thanks for all the reviews. A little lull in the action, breathe deep, release it and see ya'll tomorrow.