Papercut
Pins and needles were all he could feel, while for a moment only the room around him changed. He was lying on a table, his wrists and legs tied to it. It was a large room, damp and a bit dark; the only source of light a small window near one of the corners. But it wasn't enough to light up the entire space he was in, leaving him in the dark quite literally.
He tried to move his head in order to have a little look around but something was placed on either side of his head, preventing him from moving. As he heard steps coming his way he strained himself to see who it was but the device keeping his head in place didn't give him that much leeway.
A deep voice suddenly spoke from the dark, "Do it."
All he could do next was scream; scream out the pain that was searing through his entire body.
-0-0-0-
Lt. Aiden Ford awoke with the familiar feeling of pins and needles, including an explosion of pain in his left thigh near his knee. He looked around, founding himself in a full infirmary, nurses and others alike buzzing around going from bed to bed. To be quite honest, Aiden didn't remember seeing the infirmary this full ... ever.
Ford straightened himself a little to have a better look. To his right he noticed a nurse putting some new bandages to Bates' shoulder. Behind Bates, Carson was arguing with a nurse, assuring her that he was alright, while he walked around checking on the patients.
To his left laid a couple of the gate room technicians, Peter included, and on the far end Elizabeth Weir.
'Oh damn, what the hell happened?' Was the first thought that came to Ford's mind. He noticed Dr. Beckett approached him and gave him a small nod. "How are you feeling, lad?"
Ford was not sure but replied nonetheless, "Like hell! Who else is injured?"
Dr. Beckett looked around, "Well, you and Sgt. Bates were the ones with the more serious wounds. The rest of the people here were either stunned or knocked unconscious."
"Major Sheppard?"
"He was placed in one of the holding cells. Apparently he tried to take Dr. Weir to the Genii. But he got stunned before he could go anywhere near the Gate." Carson said, while he started checking Ford's injury.
It had truly been a close call and if it hadn't been for those who had acted quickly, Atlantis would have been swamped by Genii. Having had a clear advantage on them, them being caught off guard and all, the Major had had the whole city as a playground for moment.
Ford started to feel guilty; after all it had been his gun that had started all this in the first place. He should have been more careful and less trusting towards the Major.
In a flash he recalled the events that had occurred leading up to this last event. If he had only paid more attention to his instincts, he wouldn't have had to deal with a brainwashed CO right about now.
He should have informed Major Sheppard the moment he felt they were being watched. That day he must have checked the life signs detector for the umpteenth time; his senses had been on high alert all morning.
"Calm down Lieutenant, there's nothing here." John Sheppard had told him for the third time.
He should have said it, right at that moment, but he decided to let go of his unsettling feeling, "Yes sir. It's just not a bad thing to be a bit paranoid."
The Major had nodded and walked off towards McKay, "Anytime you feel like finishing!"
McKay, who had been digging in the ground nearby, stopped for a second to stare at Sheppard, "Major, there are strange readings here."
"ZPM kind of readings?"
"I don't know, but it could be a power source of some kind that we have yet to discover."
Ford could really feel the Major loosing his patience real quickly, "I don't see any signs of anything here Rodney, let somebody else deal with this boring planet."
"Do I have to remind you how much we need a strong power source?"
"I get it McKay, just make up your mind and hurry up so we can leave."
Ford had chuckled softly. He sometimes found the ranting between the scientist and the Major quite amusing. At that moment he had decided it would be for the best to join Teyla, who had been looking rather on edge. "Teyla, you okay?"
"Not really. I would like us to leave this planet as soon as possible." Teyla had looked at him, an almost invisible fear imbedded in her eyes. "It's as if we're being watched."
"I know. I'm not feeling comfortable either. I have been spotting some movements right behind the tree line over there." He had pointed in the direction of the trees and Teyla had followed his directions, squeezing her eyes half shut to get a better view.
"You think animals?" Teyla kept her focus upon the tree line.
Ford glanced down at the life signs detector yet again, "I'm not picking anything up. Maybe that area is out of range, but I better inform the Major." Ford had turned to leave but hadn't made it five steps away from Teyla when he had felt himself being pushed aside.
A small dart had brushed his shoulder, which could only mean trouble in the largest sense of the word. Teyla had looked up and had shouted, "Major Sheppard we must leave, we must leave now."
Ford turn to look in the direction the dart had originated from and had quickly spotted the movement he had thought seeing earlier. He turned to face Sheppard, "Unfriendlies at six o'clock!"
Sheppard stared at the tree line and back to his team, "Back to the Stargate! Now!"
Everyone turned at once and ran down the hill as fast as their legs could carry them. In minutes the place where they had been standing was covered in arrows, now stuck in the ground. Ford had heard battle cries in the distance, if they hadn't moved more quickly things could have been a lot uglier.
By the time Ford had reached the stargate, McKay and Teyla had already activated the wormhole. He had been alongside the Major when he had suddenly turned to the Major, "Go, I'll cover you." Sheppard yelled at him.
Ford followed the order blindly and ran with all the strength he had left towards the Stargate as Major Sheppard laid some cover fire. Soon after Ford saw Teyla and Rodney step through the event horizon, he turned around to look for Major Sheppard.
Sheppard was at a fair distance from the Stargate at that point. He stopped firing and was running towards the Gate, but the moment he saw Ford waiting for him; and being in possible danger he ordered him to go. Sheppard wasn't too far off and there was no way they could catch him on that short run towards safety.
Ford nodded and almost dived through the wormhole, rolling out on the other side. Where he waited with the rest of the team for Major Sheppard to step through the Stargate. But seconds passed by without a sign from Sheppard. After a few minutes the Stargate shut down leaving three team members in the dark about what had happened to their CO and why he hadn't made it back.
He should have returned at that very moment, maybe he would have been able to help Major Sheppard.
It was because of his inability to go back at that moment; Ford had a reason to be limping inside the room where the holding cell was. His leg was hurting him, but being a flesh wound Ford could stand the pain. He had no other choice.
The only change in the holding cell was that they had placed a small cot where Major Sheppard could sleep in.
As Ford walked in, the Major was still unconscious. He looked around and noticed they had placed cameras all around the cell to record his every word. Dr. Weir wanted to see every movement and every change the Major went through.
Ford moved closer towards Sgt. Stackhouse, who acknowledged his presence with a curt nod, "How he's doing?"
"Still unconscious, I think he was hit by 4 different stunners at the same time. He started moving a little in the last hour, that's all."
Ford glanced from Stackhouse to Major Sheppard. "Thanks Sergeant."
Ford moved around, circling the holding cell. His mind was half with him and half thinking of what to say when the Major would finally regain enough consciousness. As he circled the place for the second time, Ford stopped near the exit. He looked at Sheppard, who had his eyes open but they were glassy and empty. Ford sighed and walked out of the room, but before he could put one foot in the nearby transporter, he could hear Major Sheppard scream.
Ignoring the pain in his leg, Ford half ran and half limped back to the room, only to find John Sheppard screaming and trashing on the cot.
Sheppard arched his back upward and gasped. Then he slammed back to the cot, snapped open his eyes and frantically started to stand up. He fell on the floor and shouted while getting back to his feet, "Kolya, I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Panting he looked around and locked eyes with Ford.
Sheppard's brow furrowed, "Ford?"
Not sure of what to say the Lieutenant stared at Sheppard skeptically, "Major?"
Sheppard grabbed his head in his hands and sat on the floor. Ford stared at the Major, waiting for another reaction hoping that what he had just witnessed was true.
But when Sheppard opened his eyes again, he was definitely back in his Ignatius persona. "What do you want?"
Ford didn't dare to say a thing; the possibility of being able to talk with his friend was still in his mind.
Ignatius stood up and started walking around in his cell. He stopped and turned his head, looking right at Lt. Ford, giving him a cruel smirk, "How's the leg?"
Ford shifted a little uncomfortably and then replied with as much sarcasm as he could muster that moment, "I'll live."
Ignatius returned to his pacing back and forth, "Too bad."
Ford moved closer to the cell, "You had the opportunity to kill me. Why didn't you? Why didn't you blow my brains out?"
Ignatius turned and sat on the cot, "My mind was elsewhere. I wanted to get home before dinner."
"You are home."
Ignatius fell silent, while Ford had expected him to retort something nasty about Atlantis being his home but it never came. He seemed lost inside his own mind and Ford decided for the best to leave him alone for now. He quickly retrieved the video that had recorded the strange behavior and left to show what had just happened to Dr. Heighmeyer, Dr. Beckett and a hopefully conscious Dr. Weir. Who would probably want to see this too.